James Rodriguez on potential Ancelotti reunion at Real Madrid

By Conor Laird


Published: June 13, 2021 7:06 pm

Last Updated: June 13, 2021 7:12 pm

Everton star James Rodriguez has spoken out, amid surprise suggestions that he could once again reunite with Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.

James back in form

Colombian international Rodriguez of course only made the move to Goodison Park last summer.

On the back of another testing season on the books of Zinedine Zidane’s Real, during which he struggled for game-time, the 29-year-old opted to try his hand in the Premier League for the first time.

And the ensuing campaign, in turn, proved largely positive.

Whilst he was forced to deal with a number of niggling fitness issues, Rodriguez, when fit, slotted into Everton’s midfield with ease, adding some much-needed guile to the club’s ranks.

All told, in 26 appearances across all competitions, the talented South American racked up 6 goals and 9 assists.

James Rodriguez 2020/21 stat update:

Games: 18
Goals: 5
Assists: 7
Pre-assists: 11
Idea balls: ∞ ?

Another major impact from @jamesdrodriguez. ? pic.twitter.com/RM73V3x4pk

— Everton (@Everton) February 7, 2021

‘Don’t think so’

Rodriguez’s Everton switch coming to fruition in the first place, though, of course only came about due to the persistence of Carlo Ancelotti, who had previously overseen some of the finest form of the Colombian’s career whilst in Madrid.

In turn, upon the tactician bringing an abrupt end to his Goodison stint at the beginning of the month, it came as little surprise when speculation surrounding Rodriguez’s future quickly followed.

If the latest comments on the part of the midfielder himself are anything to go by, however, then it appears altogether unlikely that a transfer, to the Bernabeu at least, will be forthcoming at any point in the near future.

Speaking during an Instagram Live session (as cited by Goal), Rodriguez was drawn on the possibility of another reunion with Ancelotti, to which he responded:

‘I don’t know [if I’ll go back to Madrid]. I don’t think so, we’re watching. If I stay another year at Everton, that’s fine.’

‘I don’t think Ancelotti is going to take me. The cycle for me with Real Madrid is closed, I don’t think I’ll go there, but I’m still young.’

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Premier League table

#	Team	MP	D	P
1	Manchester City FC	38	51	86
2	Manchester United FC	38	29	74
3	Liverpool FC	38	26	69
4	Chelsea FC	38	22	67
5	Leicester City FC	38	18	66
6	West Ham United FC	38	15	65
7	Tottenham Hotspur FC	38	23	62
8	Arsenal FC	38	16	61
9	Leeds United	38	8	59
10	Everton FC	38	-1	59
11	Aston Villa FC	38	9	55
12	Newcastle United FC	38	-16	45
13	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	38	-16	45
14	Crystal Palace FC	38	-25	44
15	Southampton FC	38	-21	43
16	Brighton & Hove Albion FC	38	-6	41
17	Burnley FC	38	-22	39
18	Fulham FC	38	-26	28
19	West Bromwich Albion	38	-41	26
20	Sheffield United FC	38	-43	23

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Player	Team	Goals
Kane, Harry	Tottenham Hotspur FC	23
Salah, Mohamed	Liverpool FC	22
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United FC	17
Son, Heung Min	Tottenham Hotspur FC	17
Bamford, Patrick	Leeds United	17
Calvert-Lewin, Dominic	Everton FC	16
Vardy, Jamie	Leicester City FC	15
Watkins, Ollie	Aston Villa FC	14
Gundogan, Ilkay	Manchester City FC	13
Lacazette, Alexandre	Arsenal FC	13
Wilson, Callum	Newcastle United FC	12
Ings, Danny	Southampton FC	12
Wood, Chris	Burnley FC	12
Iheanacho, Kelechi	Leicester City FC	12
Rashford, Marcus	Manchester United FC	11
Mane, Sadio	Liverpool FC	11
Pereira, Matheus	West Bromwich Albion	11
Bale, Gareth	Tottenham Hotspur FC	11
Zaha, Wilfried	Crystal Palace FC	11
Sterling, Raheem	Manchester City FC	10

Player	Team	Red Cards	Yellow Cards
McGinn, John	Aston Villa FC	0	12
Gallagher, Conor	West Bromwich Albion	0	11
Maguire, Harry	Manchester United FC	0	11
Phillips, Kalvin	Leeds United	0	10
Hojbjerg, Pierre	Tottenham Hotspur FC	0	9
Milivojevic, Luka	Crystal Palace FC	1	8
Lundstram, John	Sheffield United FC	1	8
Luiz, Douglas	Aston Villa FC	0	8
Holgate, Mason	Everton FC	0	9
Bissouma, Yves	Brighton & Hove Albion FC	1	8
Soucek, Tomas	West Ham United FC	1	7
Shaw, Luke	Manchester United FC	0	8
Xhaka, Granit	Arsenal FC	1	7
Bellerin, Hector	Arsenal FC	0	8
Andersen, Joachim	Fulham FC	1	7
Egan, John	Sheffield United FC	1	7
Hayden, Isaac	Newcastle United FC	0	8
Dallas, Stuart	Leeds United	0	7
McGoldrick, David	Sheffield United FC	0	7
Reid, Bobby	Fulham FC	0	7

Player	Team	Assists
Kane, Harry	Tottenham Hotspur FC	14
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United FC	12
De Bruyne, Kevin	Manchester City FC	11
Son, Heung Min	Tottenham Hotspur FC	10
Grealish, Jack	Aston Villa FC	10
Rashford, Marcus	Manchester United FC	9
Raphinha	Leeds United	9
Vardy, Jamie	Leicester City FC	8
Mane, Sadio	Liverpool FC	8
Harrison, Jack	Leeds United	8
Werner, Timo	Chelsea FC	8
Gross, Pascal	Brighton & Hove Albion FC	8
Cresswell, Aaron	West Ham United FC	8
Pereira, Matheus	West Bromwich Albion	7
Sterling, Raheem	Manchester City FC	7
Firmino, Roberto	Liverpool FC	7
Ward-Prowse, James	Southampton FC	7
Eze, Eberechi	Crystal Palace FC	7
Alexander-Arnold, Trent	Liverpool FC	7
Robertson, Andrew	Liverpool FC	7

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