There is 'James case'

The start of James (29 years) in the Premier has been stellar. Three goals and three assists in five games played for Everton. Such has been his irruption, that within Madrid there are managers who are showing their disappointment at the management that Zidane has been able to make of his case. His and that of other players like his own Bale, who could debut this Sunday with Tottenham, Reguilón, also in the Spurs, or Ceballos. All, it was understood a priori in Madrid (perhaps with the exception of the Welshman) very profitable players.

But it was the start of James that has set off the alarms. The English press has defined the situation as 'the robbery of the century', alluding to the bargain with which the team trained by Ancelotti has made. The debate about his spectacular change has even reached his country, where Queiroz, the Colombia coach, said: “At Everton he plays like we do, with total freedom. It is his position, the place that corresponds to him since he stood out at Porto, “he said, referring to the position of 10, more focused on how he played in Madrid.

The occurrence of “the robbery of the century” was from the medium Sport Inglife. And it was made on the basis that James would have paid a transfer that would be around 25 million euros. Now, there are even doubts that this has been the case, knowing the statements made by the treasurer of Banfield, one of the teams in which this transfer to Everton should have left in concept of training rights.

“The transfer was made as if it were a free player,” explained Ignacio Uzquiza. “The pertinent consultations were made to both clubs (Madrid and Everton) and they unfortunately confirmed that Banfield will not receive money for the solidarity mechanism.” This extreme has not been confirmed, in any case, by Real Madrid, which in any way was obliged to urgently lower its salary mass, and James earned 10 million net per campaign (he has left this season).

The truth is that every good performance by James reminds us in the Bernabéu offices that there were important people from within the club who said it was very useful. In just one month in England he has been chosen in the post-pandemic ideal eleven and in the ideal eleven of the players transferred this summer to the Premier. He has been player of the match against Tottenham, West Bromwich, Crystal Palace and Brighton, and was nominated for player of the month in September. James' goals are added pressure for Zidane, who failed to get the best out of the Colombian.

Klopp: “The Big Business of the Summer”

The last to pronounce on the James case was the Liverpool coach, Klopp. In statements to the BBC first complimented Ancelotti: “He is a wonderful being. It is no secret what I think of him, I have always said it.” And later, he valued the Italian's move to take James to the Premier: “The big deal of the summer. They did the perfect deal. They found exactly the players they needed to improve a team that was already pretty good. Getting used to what Carlo wants them to do makes them quite a strong team.”