Qatari club Al Rayyan have teased the signing of Everton playmaker James Rodriguez following heavy links with a Middle Eastern move.
Rodriguez has yet to feature for the Toffees this season, with the experienced Colombian international finding himself out of favour with new manager Rafa Benitez.
The Carlo Ancelotti-era acquisition does not look to be a part of future plans at Everton, especially given the well-documented tension between the attacker and the new Everton manager.
As a result, Everton appear to have struck a deal with Al Rayyan, whose Qatari transfer window is still open, with a view to offloading the player’s salary off the Toffees’ books.
Taking to Twitter, Al Rayyan teased what appears to be the imminent signing of the strongly linked creative maestro in a video laced with teasing past footage and a silhouette of the player.
Twitter: قريبًا
Soon https://t.co/OqcPyGFFQj (@AlrayyanSC)
A separate Twitter update from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano yesterday (21/09/2021) indicated that a deal is a loan deal and not a permanent move as first thought, though talks were claimed to be ‘ongoing’ and may not have been as advanced as previously thought.
‘Salary details’ were said to be the main focal point of recent discussions as all parties work towards an optimal solution to handle the player’s situation.
Read Everton Verdict
In many ways, the removal of Rodriguez from Everton is emblematic of the new era under Rafa Benitez.
The forcing-out of his services feels like Benitez stamping his authority on his new-look squad following his personal clash with the player, and removing a flagship signing from Ancelotti is almost totemic of the turning-over of a new leaf following the departure of the ex-Toffees tactician.
