James Rodriguez: Everton boss Rafael Benitez explains sale of Colombian midfielder

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James Rodriguez began last season strong, but was then plagued by calf injuries.

Rafael Benitez, Everton's boss, says that James Rodriguez was allowed to leave because of his injury record.

After being signed by Carlo Ancelotti, the Colombian international spent one year at Goodison Park.

The wages were around 200,000 per week, and the injury meant that he missed significant parts of last season. He joined Al Rayyan in Qatar this week.

Benitez stated, "We must maximize the resources we have."

"Having a player available for half of the games in the Premier League is something we cannot manage easily."

Rodriguez started 21 Premier League games last season, scoring six goals.

He said that it was a "pity” that he had never been able to play in front of Goodison Park fans because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Although Benitez will be without Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Benitez said that he needed to look at Rodriguez's future.

Farhad Moshiri, the majority shareholder, also stated that he had spoken with Benitez and indicated that money was available to purchase players in January. Benitez explained previously that the club couldn't add to the 1.7 million spent in the summer due to financial fair play rules.

It's difficult to find good deals [for Rodriguez] when it is important. They are difficult to find and manage, Benitez stated.

"I spoke with Mr Moshiri yesterday about January transfer funds. We are fortunate enough to have owners who want money to spend, but we must be certain that we can do it the right way.

"They are keen to spend the money on the team and improve it."