Real Madrid are reportedly mulling over the possibility of re-signing James Rodriguez from Everton at the request of newly-appointed manager Carlo Ancelotti.
According to a report from Catalan publication SPORT, La Liga giants Real Madrid could be lining up a raid on Premier League club Everton for the signing of Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez following the return of Carlo Ancelotti as manager.
James signed for Real Madrid in the summer of 2014, when Ancelotti in charge of the club, arriving from AS Monaco after enjoying a stunning World Cup with Colombia. After having a couple of very impressive campaigns with the Merengues, the 29-year-old slowly fell down the pecking order under manager Zinedine Zidane, resulting in him leaving for Bayern Munich on loan in 2017 – Ancelotti being the one who signed him for Die Roten.
After two years with the German champions, James returned to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019 but did not feature a great deal in the 2019/20 campaign, before eventually sealing a permanent transfer to Everton last year – once again joining forces with Ancelotti. While the 29-year-old had some injury issues, he still managed a return of six goals and nine assists from 26 games in all competitions in his debut season in England.
James still has two years left on his contract with Everton, with an option of an additional year, but there could be a chance that he ends up securing a swift return to Real Madrid, with Ancelotti back at the helm of affairs in the Spanish capital. Indeed, Gol Carracol journalist Javier Hernandez Bonnet has claimed that the Italian has once again requested for the 29-year-old’s signing this summer.
And even though there is a sense of reluctance from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, a return is being considered by the club. The report further adds that James would also be open to coming back to the Santiago Bernabeu, and willing to take a pay cut in order to so. In addition, with Rafael Benitez, with whom he had a falling out at Madrid, in contention to become the next Everton boss an exit seems likely, the report adds.
Real Madrid are in the market for new midfielders this summer as Luka Modric is entering the final phase of his career while Toni Kroos is in his thirties and needs his game-time managed. To that end, the likes of Manuel Locatelli and Fabian Ruiz have been linked with a move to the Spanish capital outfit, while James would also be a viable target who would allow Ancelotti to rotate his troops more effectively.
It remains to be seen whether Real Madrid do actually end up making a swoop for James Rodriguez this summer or target any other players to bolster their midfield.
