Everton officially announced that Rodriguez has left the club to join Qatari side Al Rayyan, managed by former French national team coach Laurent Blanc.
James Rodriguez's time in the Premier League has come to an end after just one season after the Colombian star signed for Al Rayyan on Wednesday.
Rodriguez joined Everton from Real Madrid in a £20 million ($26 million) move last summer and got off to a fast start with three goals and three assists in his first five games for the club. But the 30-year-old midfielder struggled with injuries throughout the year, ending the seasons with six goals and eight assists in 26 games for the Toffees in all competitions.
Former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti—who brought Rodriguez to Real Madrid, on loan to Bayern Munich and again to Everton—left Merseyside to return to Real this summer. The arrival of Rafa Benitez put Rodriguez's future in limbo along with his £10 million a year ($13.6 million) contract that dented Everton's pocketbook, according to ESPN.
Now Rodriguez heads to Qatar for an undisclosed fee to link up with Al Rayyan, which has yet to win in three games this season. Al Rayyan is managed by former French national team player and coach Laurent Blanc.
Rodriguez is best known for his Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup, where he stole the show with six goals. The attacking midfielder turned his performance in Brazil into a £63 million move to Real Madrid from Monaco. But he never found his footing in the Spanish capital, scoring 25 goals in 89 appearances spread across four seasons.
He has scored 23 goals in 80 appearances for the Colombian national team throughout his career.
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