Everton midfielder James Rodriguez has made the shock admission that he doesn't know who the Toffees are playing against at the weekend, as his future remains very much up in the air at Goodison Park.
The 30-year-old arrived on Merseyside in the summer of 2020, inspired by the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti, under whom he had enjoyed an impressive spell of his career at Real Madrid.
Ancelotti made the sudden decision to leave Goodison Park and return to the Spanish capital in the summer however, and that has left Rodriguez feeling incredibly disenchanted with life in England.
The Colombia star wants to follow the Italian coach out of the exit door, and demonstrating his obvious detachment from the Toffees, he recently made an astonishing confession during a live Twitch stream.
Rodriguez, who didn't feature in the victory over Southampton, stated that he 'doesn't know' who are Everton's opponents this weekend, as his teammates prepare for a tough trip to Leeds United in Rafa Benitez's first away match for the club.
“I will start training on Monday, I think," he said, as cited by AS.
“On the weekend I will not play, I don't even know who Everton is playing, can you please tell me?
“I think it is away because the past was here at home. Ah, against Leeds they play, away from home, against Bielsa, a difficult game, let's see what happens, hopefully they win."
These comments will not have endeared him to the Everton faithful, who have been burned once already this summer by Ancelotti's departure. The Toffees were hoping to become top six challengers under the former Chelsea boss, but he abandoned their project for another crack at the Madrid job.
Benitez's appointment has not convinced Rodriguez that he can achieve what he wants with the Premier League side, and his attitude towards the club could be interpreted as extremely disrespectful.
He is attracting interest from around Europe, with Serie A side Milan believed to be tracking his situation.
Source : 90min