In a recent tweet, Fichajes journalist Ekrem Konur stated that Newcastle United are set to hold talks with Everton for James Rodriguez this summer. It is understood that the Magpies boss Steve Bruce wants to acquire the services of the Colombia international before the end of this summer transfer period.
🚨#Newcastle United plan to hold talks with #Everton about James #Rodríguez 🇨🇴 at Steve Bruce's request. #NUFC | #New |
👉https://t.co/uSMMkcBhJF pic.twitter.com/D3ZaX8t2Nk
— Ekrem KONUR (@Ekremkonur) August 21, 2021
Rodriguez’s Impressive Yet Injury-Plagued Season At Goodison Park
The 30-year-old enjoyed a productive season at the blue half of Merseyside as he put in a handful of eye-catching performances from the right side of Everton’s attack. However, Rodriguez missed a lot of key games due to a calf injury in the previous campaign.
The Colombian sensation banged in six goals and provided nine assists in 26 matches for the Toffees last season in multiple competitions. Rodriguez gave a good account of himself by averaging 1.6 shots, 1.7 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign. He also distributed the ball with accuracy from the right flank after making 83.3% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
However, Everton boss Rafael Benitez has no room for an unsettled player like Rodriguez in his squad which could potentially open the door for the Magpies to snap him up this summer. Having said that, there are some concerns over whether Newcastle has enough financial resources to pull off such a transfer this month.
What Will Rodriguez Bring To St. James’ Park?
When Rodriguez is fit and firing on all cylinders, he can be a joy to watch as he is a technically gifted footballer who has got the vision to engineer some decent chances for his teammates up top. The Colombian sensation can chip in by netting and setting up his fair share of goals from the right-wing. However, his recent injury record would make him a risky option for a club like Newcastle to consider during this summer transfer window.
At 30, Rodriguez has still got a few good years left in him to play at a high level, so Bruce can expect him to make an immediate impact if he can find a way to get him on board before the transfer window closes at the end of this month.
The South American talent would undeniably bring a lot of creativity and goals to Bruce’s attacking department. Thus, the Tyneside giants should think about making a cut-price move to secure his signature this summer.
