Why Everton must allow Ancelotti to sign James Rodriguez
Carlo Ancelotti has not lost faith in coaching James Rodriguez again, with the newly-appointed Everton boss looking to bring the Real Madrid playmaker to Goodison Park, according to Daily Mail.
The pair certainly have history, having worked together at both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. There were plenty of rumours that Ancelotti wanted to lure Rodríguez to Napoli in the summer before he left the club.
Rodríguez, whose season has been derailed by injuries so far, is not in manager Zinedine Zidane’s plans for the future, meaning that Everton have a good chance of convincing the boss to let him go temporarily.
He has managed just nine appearances for Real this season, with various injuries keeping him sidelined for his side’s last 13 games in all competitions.
Rodriguez enjoyed a good working relationship with Ancelotti and there is no reason why they can’t spark up something wonderful at Everton. Rodriguez has not had the easiest of times since falling out of favour at the Bernabeu and not doing enough in his time at Bayern to earn a permanent transfer.
Clearly, the South American playmaker needs a chance to revive his career and moving to Everton to reunite with his former boss would be a wise move. Rodriguez was a world-class talent not so long ago and it’s worth noting that he played some of his best football under Ancelotti.
Rodriguez got his big-money move to Real off the back of a stellar 2014 World Cup in Brazil. However, despite a good start, he’s slipped down the pecking order in the Spanish capital.
With Everton continuing to try and build their club into a more global force and brand, signing Rodriguez would make a lot of sense.
There’s little doubting his class too. He wasn’t at his best in Munich but on both occasions, he managed seven league goals in just over 20 appearances. He is capable of better but those stats are still admirable. He’d definitely give a boost to the club and, if anything, raise the levels of quality in and around on a daily basis.
Verdict
Signing James Rodriguez would be a smart move for Everton but only if they can get the best out of him. His fitness might be a concern but the Toffees are seemingly prepared to take the risk as they search for more creativity from their midfield.
Gylfi Sigurðsson has managed just one assist so far but he is the only midfielder to have created a goal for Everton this season. Goals have not been easy to come by for the team and bringing in someone like Rodríguez certainly makes sense.
