Rodrigo was seriously considering a move to Everton this summer, but the Toffees backed away from talks when the Leeds United forward asked for a £200,000-a-week deal at Goodison Park.
That is according to a report from Football Transfers, which suggests that the Spaniard was willing to see if the Toffees were prepared to match the contract he is set to sign with Al-Rayyan in Qatar.
Rodrigo looks set to be the next big name to leave Elland Road in this window. Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday that he had undergone a medical ahead of a move to the Middle East.
Everton walked away from Rodrigo talks
It is a deal that will have taken many Leeds fans by surprise. But perhaps the one very small upside to the forward’s departure is that supporters do not have to watch our top goalscorer from last season play for another English side next season.
And it seems that that could well have happened.
Football Transfers reports that Rodrigo was really interested in a potential move to Everton. But a deal fell through when his representatives asked for the Toffees to match the terms on the table from Qatar.
It is hardly a surprise that Everton were not keen on paying those figures. Ultimately, Rodrigo stepped up in a big way last season. However, for much of his Elland Road spell, he looked to be quite an underwhelming signing.
Everton have struggled to negotiate the last few transfer windows due to previous mistakes in the market. So it is hard to imagine that they are going to be handing out too many £200,000-a-week contracts this summer.
It is a shame to see Rodrigo leave Leeds when he had established himself as a leader. But you can understand why he is ready to move to Qatar when you consider the wages on offer.
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