Real Madrid attacker keen on a reunion with James Rodriguez at Everton

Real Madrid attacker Isco is open to a reunion with James Rodriguez at Everton following his reduced gametime under manager Zinedine Zidane, The Mirror reports.

The Spain international has made won 16 major trophies during his seven years in Madrid where he has contributed 51 goals and 54 assists from 312 appearances.

However, he has dropped down the selection order under Zidane this term and he has been restricted to only four appearances in all competitions, three of which have come off the bench.

It is now reported that Los Blancos are prepared to loan out the playmaker during the winter transfer window, provided the interested club accepts the obligation to buy next summer.

Isco has under two years remaining on his contract and it is claimed that Los Blancos will demand an initial fee of only £18m to sanction his permanent sale.

Isco has been on the radar of numerous elite clubs over the years including Arsenal and Juventus, but it is reported that he could prefer a reunion with former teammate Rodriguez at Everton.

Rodriguez and Isco played together in four of the six seasons at the Bernabeu and the duo are understood to have shared a fond relationship on and off the playing field.

The Colombia international endured a difficult 2019/2020 season where he made only 14 appearances for Los Blancos and was completely out-of-favour after the coronavirus shutdown.

Hence, he made the switch to the Toffees, surprisingly on a free transfer earlier this summer and has proved a revelation for them with three goals and four assists from just seven matches.

Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti has played his part in the Colombian’s career revival, having previously worked with him at both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich (two season-long loan).

It will be interesting to see whether the Merseyside outfit are tempted to make an approach for Isco at the turn of the year, particularly after receiving the green light from the player, as per reports.

Ancelotti has repaid the faith of the board at the start of the current season with new signings such as Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Rodriguez all making an instant impact on the club’s progress.

Judging by this, the board may back him with additional funds in January and Isco can be regarded as a no-brainer signing, given he would provide a further upgrade on the attacking options.

Similarly to Rodriguez, Isco has played under Ancelotti for a couple of seasons between 2013 and 2015 and should not find it difficult to cope with the tactical demands of the legendary Italian.

Everton are presently top of the league standings with 13 points. They have recently suffered a dip in form with just one point acquired from two games and will be hoping to return to winning ways against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com