Allan flew into Merseyside on Wednesday; James Rodriguez expected to travel to Liverpool ahead of a medical on Thursday
Wednesday 2 September 2020 19:25, UK
James Rodriguez and Allan have arrived in the UK to undergo medicals before completing deals to join Everton.
Everton finalised an agreement with Real Madrid on Tuesday evening over a deal for Rodriguez, which will see him move to Merseyside on a three-year deal.
Allan flew into Merseyside on Wednesday after Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed the defensive midfielder had said his goodbyes over the weekend.
The fee for the Brazilian is €25m (£21.7m), plus an additional €3m (£2.6m) in incentives, according to Sky in Italy.
Rodriguez has also travelled to the UK to finalise a move to Goodison Park and is expected to begin a medical on Thursday.
The move will see the Colombia international join forces with Carlo Ancelotti for a third time, having played under him at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
An initial transfer fee has been agreed and the player - who made just 14 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions during 2019/20 - should sign in the next 48 hours.
Talks continue between Everton and Watford for Abdoulaye Doucoure. The two clubs are closer to agreeing a transfer fee - although there is still significant work to be done before a deal is struck.
Watford began negotiations wanting £35m for the French midfielder, while Everton value him closer to £25m.
Defender Michael Keane has also signed a new five-year deal at Goodison, until 2025.
South American football expert Tim Vickery:
"Allan is a Brazilian midfielder who is one of those players that coaches tend to rate more than fans. He's a problem-solver. When Brazil first called him up the coach there said 'Allan? He hasn't got feet he's got wheels'.
"And what he meant by that is he just gets around the field, he sees the gaps, he plugs the gaps, he links the lines. He's a problem solver who will help your team function. Perhaps he does not offer a great deal on the ball but he has the dynamism to get around the field.
"The one to be excited about is James Rodriguez, the breakout star of the 2014 World Cup - that player is still there. He was only 22 then, he's 29 now and it almost feels like his career has been stalled ever since. A victim of stockpiling, there's only so many players that can be important in the Real Madrid line-up.
"James is a very, very classy player perhaps not quick enough not with the express pace to fit into the Real Madrid system. At Everton he has got everything he wants. He has got a coach who knows him well and admired and respects him, and Ancelotti worked with him in his best season at Real Madrid as well, his first season, and also took him to Bayern on loan.
"Ancelotti knows what James can do. He's a good fit for the way Everton like to line up at the moment. You can imagine James in a wide position in a 4-4-2 or in a deeper central role arriving with an element of surprise. If I was Richarlison I would be licking my lips at this because you could imagine James reproducing the partnership with Richarlison that he had with Radamel Falcao for the Colombia national team."
Spanish football expert Graham Hunter on Sky Sports News:
"Carlo Ancelotti and James had a very good relationship in James' first season at Real Madrid.
"He is not wanted by Real; they desperately need to cut the numbers in the squad, they desperately need to cut the wage bill and they desperately need income.
"The idea of playing at Everton is something he would welcome. He was due to leave Real Madrid at the beginning of last season but it was blocked and he was angry. He's ready to play and still thinks he's world class. If Carlo Ancelotti can get him, he's the type of footballer that the Goodison faithful will be yearning to see regularly."
With Everton closing in on what would be an eye-catching transfer that would see the enigmatic midfielder join forces with Ancelotti for a third time, we look back on the curious case of the Colombian and what might lay ahead.
Where did it all go right - and then wrong - at Real Madrid? Why has so much changed since James won the Golden Ball at the World Cup in 2014?
All the latest news, analysis and rumours from the window in one place.
The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5.
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