Everton's sporting director confirms James Rodriguez left Real Madrid for free

There were unconfirmed reports that Real Madrid allowed James to leave for free ever since his transfer was confirmed on September 7, 2020.

'We signed six new players. One of them on a free – James Rodriguez," Everton's sporting director Marcel Brands confirmed on Thursday night, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.

The Colombian was valued at €32m by that time, according to Transfermarkt.

The 29-year-old enjoyed a revival in his early days at Everton, scoring 3 goals and providing 3 assists in the first 6 Premier League games. Yet he suffered a dip in form in November and hasn't made any goal contribution since then.