1:13 Sky in Italy reporter Valentina Fass reveals Napoli midfielder Allan has said his goodbyes at the Italian club ahead of his £24.3m move to Everton
‘A problem-solver and a former breakout star’
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.
3:01 The Good Morning Transfer panel discuss the impact that James Rodriguez could have at Everton if the deal is completed
“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.”
Hunter: James would welcome Everton move
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.”
0:43 Spanish football expert Graham Hunter says the ‘very good relationship’ between Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez has made a transfer to Goodison Park possible
Analysis: The curious case of James
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?
Read more here.
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