Everton and Manchester United look set to battle it out for Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez this summer.
According to Sport (via Sport Witness), the Colombian is a ‘great candidate’ to leave Real Madrid this summer, whilst both Manchester United and Everton could ‘bet on’ the 28-year-old’s signing. The report from Sport Witness includes a reference from a previous article, in which it is suggested by Carlo Ancelotti that he sees Rodriguez as the perfect signing to ‘catapult’ the Toffees up the Premier League table.
It has been suggested by various media outlets that the former Porto man is likely to leave Los Blancos this summer; with Zinedine Zidane keen to cash in on a number of first-team players in order to lay the foundations for a bold summer spending spree.
TIF Thoughts…
So far this season, Rodriguez has made just seven appearances in La Liga, contributing one goal and one assist, earning a 6.87 average rating (per WhoScored). The Colombian midfielder earned a move to Real Madrid after his fantastic performances in the 2014 World Cup and in his time with the Spanish giants; he has gone on to make 124 appearances; contributing 37 goals and 42 assists (per Transfermarkt).
Who is more likely to sign Rodriguez this summer?
Everton
Manchester United
It will be interesting to see if the Toffees can complete a move for the £28.8 million-rated man this summer and where he would fit into Ancelotti’s side. If Real Madrid are indeed keen to cash in on the midfielder, then perhaps we will see him join the Blues for a cut-price deal, but they could face stiff competition from Manchester United.