Carlo Ancelotti has been accused of lying about James Rodriguez and why exactly the Italian boss bought him for Everton in the summer transfer window.

Speaking to ESPN (via Sport Witness), former Colombia star Ivan Valenciano has claimed that Ancelotti is 'totally lying' about bringing the former Real Madrid ace to the Goodison Park faithful more for footballing reasons and added that he 'is more about merchandising than football'.

He also went on to claim that the Merseyside club 'invested more in advertising than in a player', given that they would have gained a lot of fans from both his native country and on a more worldwide scale because of his previous pedigree in the beautiful game.

Rodriguez more than just an advertisement

The comments can be perceived as very harsh on Rodriguez's actual footballing ability, especially given how well the attacking midfield player has done in adapting to the English game.

He has put in some very good performances for the Toffees in his debut season so far, with former Premier League striker Noel Whelan highlighting that the 29-year-old was especially 'excellent' in the 3-3 away draw against Manchester United back in February.

Rodriguez, currently valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, scored a very well-taken goal in that game, which is one of five strikes on top of a further eight assists that he has made in 21 matches in total over all competitions so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, although his signing has certainly grown the fanbase, the Colombia international certainly offers a lot more on the pitch.

In other news, find out what early news before Burnley has left Blues fuming here!