Everton attacker enters talks with Qatari club over move
Everton attacking midfielder James Rodriguez is reportedly in talks with a Qatari side over a permanent transfer.
The arrival of Rafa Benitez has seen Rodriguez become surplus to requirements at Goodison Park.
He is yet to feature in the Premier League or Carabao Cup this season, despite declaring himself as fit and ready to play.
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According to Sky Sports, Rodriguez and his agent have entered discussions with an unnamed Qatari team.
The talks could see him move to the Middle East for the first time. Qatar’s transfer window does not close until September 30, giving the club enough time to get a deal to go through.
One of Rodriguez’s former clubs, Porto, were chasing his signature during the summer. Reports on August 28 claimed that there was the potential for a swap deal involving Colombia winger Luis Diaz, although it ultimately failed to materialise.
Rodriguez doesn’t seem to fit into Benitez’s 4-4-2 formation. The Spaniard did change things up in the recent 3-1 win against Burnley, but Rodriguez still did not even make the bench.
The playmaker remains the highest earner at Everton and takes home a reported £90,000 a week.
He joined the Toffees during Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure but now looks likely to leave after just one year.
Rodriguez has angered fans in recent months with admissions over his future on streaming site Twitch.
In July, the 30-year-old said: “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know – I don’t know where I’m going to play.
“You know that in football and in life you don’t know anything, but all I know is that I’ve been training hard, preparing well, training for myself and that’s it.
“It’s complicated. [I will play] wherever I’m wanted. Someone has to be at a place they’re wanted.”
The forward arrived to plenty of fanfare when he joined Everton from Real Madrid on a free transfer.
He got off to a brilliant start too, notching three goals and three assists in his first five Premier League matches.
But Rodriguez could not maintain that form for long. Groin and calf injuries prevented him from playing regularly in 2020-21.