Colombia attacking midfielder played under Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid
Monday 31 August 2020 13:32, UK
Everton are closing in on an audacious summer transfer coup for Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez.
The deal would see the Colombia international join forces with Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti for a third time, having played under him at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Everton have made an offer to the Spanish champions for James, which is now under consideration at the Bernabeu.
However, it is believed talks between the two clubs are progressing well and an agreement over a deal may be close.
James has 12 months left on his Madrid contract and is understood to be keen to make the move to Goodison Park on a three-year deal.
Last month, Ancelotti explained how much he liked the 29-year-old but played down the chances of him heading for Merseyside.
"James Rodriguez? I like, I like a lot as a player," said Ancelotti.
"When I left Madrid, James Rodriguez followed me to Munich. He came to play.
"But he followed me as a rumour to Napoli and now he is following me here to Everton as a rumour.
"I have to be honest, I like him a lot. But he is a Real Madrid player. I think he will still be a Real Madrid player."
Everton are in talks to sign Abdoulaye Doucoure from Watford but the clubs remain a significant distance apart in their valuation of the midfielder.
Watford rejected a bid of £36.7m for Doucoure from Everton last summer, but with the Hornets having been relegated to the Championship, they are understood to be willing to allow him to leave for £35m.
Factors such as Watford's relegation and the financial impact of the coronavirus are likely to see Everton attempt to complete a deal for a lower price for the 27-year-old.
Doucoure wants to leave Vicarage Road but has three years remaining on the contract he signed in 2018, which means Watford do not feel under pressure to sell the Frenchman this summer.
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The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5.
A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
