Everton are still keeping tabs on Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez.

That’s according to one outlet who suggest Everton are hoping to land a big name player now they’re under the stewardship of Carlo Ancelotti.

The Toffees have been interested in his services before and it appears as though they’re attractiveness towards the player is failing to go away.

It’s been reported that the Colombian could be available on a cut-price deal in the summer with Real Madrid not wanting to renew his contract in the Spanish capital.

That has opened the door for Manchester United to potentially steal in and prise the player out of Everton’s grasp.

Currently on £250,000 a week at Madrid, he was once valued at £100m. However, his side are worried they’ll struggle to even get half that much for his services.

GIVE ME SPORT’S Matt Dawson says...

Rinse and repeat. That seems to be the cycle at Everton.

The Toffees love signing attacking midfielders and in James Rodriguez, they’d have yet another. A number of summers ago they signed Davy Klaasen, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney.

However, three years on, only one remains and it appears to largely be a failed experiment.
Sigurdsson is that man, yet he’s been a shadow of his former self in 2019/20, scoring just once in the Premier League and laying on a further two assists.

For someone who was so prolific last term, netting 13 goals, they desperately need an increased output from a central position.

Could Rodriguez be that man? It’s very possible. After all, Ancelotti has been full of hype for a player he’s already coached at Madrid and Bayern Munich.

When the player was linked with the Italian’s Napoli side last July, he commented: "I’m very attached to James, I rate him very highly and he can certainly improve our team."

Whether he’d adapt to the Premier League remains to be seen but he’s already scored 19 and assisted 18 under Everton’s current manager in 51 matches. They seem to have a good understanding.