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Carlo Ancelotti's latest comments are bound to delight many Everton fans after the manager revealed that he sees no reason why James Rodriguez would not have his stay at Goodison Park extended.
The Toffees signed Rodriguez on a two-year deal in September and an option to extend his deal by a further 12 months was included in the transfer.
Signed on a free transfer from Real Madrid, as confirmed by Marcel Brands recently, the Colombian playmaker has already impressed for the Toffees, with three goals and five assists so far.
Able to play on the right wing, the versatile 29-year-old looks to be a mainstay of Carlo Ancelotti's plans. He has been entrusted to provide creative wizardry on 15 occasions in all competitions for The Toffees, and he will automatically trigger a new deal by reaching a certain number of appearances.
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However, the Liverpool Echo understands that the club has an option to do this regardless; and Ancelotti believes that, as long as Rodriguez desires to continue playing at Goodison Park, then 'there is no problem' with extending his deal beyond his existing terms. He told reporters:
"Really, we didn't talk about this in this moment we are only happy he is here and he is happy to be here. So if we are happy, he is happy, there is no problem for to sign the contract."
"It is not my job to extend the contract with the player, I can only give the advice to the club to extend the contract, and I can give the advice to the player to stay with us - that's it."
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Ancelotti has placed the ball in Brands' court over a new deal for the Colombian, but that should not be an issue.
Rodriguez continues to be an influence at Everton, and his form provides an ideal backdrop to justify prolonging the experienced playmaker's stay at Goodison Park.