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James Rodríguez has travelled to Qatar for talks over a possible move from Everton 12 months after his arrival from Real Madrid.
The Colombia international’s future at Goodison Park has been uncertain since Carlo Ancelotti surprisingly returned to Madrid in June. Ancelotti had been instrumental in the 30-year-old’s decision to join Everton on an initial two-year contract worth about £200,000 a week.
Rodríguez has yet to feature under Rafael Benítez this season and was informed early in the summer that he was free to find another club as Everton looked to reduce their wage bill.
Potential moves to Porto and Istanbul Basaksehir failed to materialise during the European transfer window but an alternative is the Middle East. The Qatar club Al Rayyan have been reported as a possible destination, although negotiations are at an early stage.
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The playmaker missed the start of Benítez’s debut season at Everton with Covid issues but has been overlooked since returning to full training. He scored six goals in 26 appearances for the club last season, when a highly impressive start was disrupted by injury. - Guardian
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