Colombian superstar Rodriguez seals Everton escape in Qatar move

Everton forward James Rodriguez has completed a move to Qatari side Al-Rayyan.

The Colombian striker’s time at Goodison Park has been cut short just 13 months after joining.

Rodriguez, 30, was on a reported £200,000-a-week contract at Everton and made 26 appearances, scoring six times for the Toffees.

The lure of working with former boss Carlo Ancelotti again saw him move to the Premier League initially and the Italian's unexpected summer departure meant Rodriguez’s exit was inevitable.

He has yet to play this season and now a career that has seen him feature for European powerhouses Porto, Monaco, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich takes the playmaker to Qatar.

For Rafa Benitez and Everton, the Colombian’s exit should free up space on the wage bill ahead of the January window.

Rodriguez will link up with ex-Manchester United defender Laurent Blanc in the Middle East.

The Frenchman joined Al-Rayyan at the end of 2020 and will hope his superstar signing can help him make a splash.

Blanc's side have drawn their first two Qatari Stars League fixtures with a squad including former Porto star Yacine Brahimi, 31.

Everton, meanwhile, will hope to build on a promising start to the season after finishing tenth last term and missing out on European football.

The Toffees have picked up ten points from a possible 15 so far and sit level with fifth-placed Manchester City.