Real Madrid: Could James Rodriguez be reunited with Carlo Ancelotti?
By Ben Sundock
Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez once again finds himself in limbo over his standing in the current squad. Rumors have begun to emerge that the Colombian international could be reunited with his former manager Carlo Ancelotti in England with Everton.
Carlo and James. A bond that was formed during the 2014/2015 season when Rodriguez moved from AS Monaco to Real Madrid after a breakout performance at the World Cup in Brazil.
Ever since then, the two have been tied at the hip. James played under Ancelotti during his first season in Spain and his first season in Germany when he moved to Bayern Munich on loan in the summer of 2017.
Further, when Carlo Ancelotti was relieved of his duties with Bayern and moved to Napoli, rumors swirled that James would follow the Italian boss.
Of course, that never came to fruition as Carlo spent just one season in Naples, however, now at Everton and coaching in the Premier League for the first time since he was with Chelsea in 2011, James and one of his favorite managers could very well team up again.
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Ancelotti has Everton out of the relegation zone for now, but it is clear the squad needs help in several areas if they want to be a serious contender in a highly competitive Premier League.
James has struggled to assert himself in Zinedine Zidane’s squad this season due to a long injury layoff and has played just over 400 minutes in all competition because of it.
James could still re-establish himself and return to the form Real Madrid loved in his first season with the club if he can stay healthy and earns the trust of his manager. That being said, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Isco, and Fede Valverde are all in higher favor with Zidane at the moment and it will be very difficult for James to find himself.
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James has returned to training in the last couple of weeks and could make a substitute appearance against Getafe this weekend, but his days in the Royal White could be numbered.
Everton has the funds and a manager that could lure him to more regular playing time in one of the top leagues in the world. I personally think James Rodriguez’s connection with Real Madrid will keep him around through the end of the season, but don’t be surprised if more rumors begin to start in April or May.