Everton fans don’t need any excuse to dislike Rafa Benitez, but the decision to bring in Salomón Rondón is certainly a good one.
The second the idea of signing the striker on a free was mooted it was met with huge disapproval and that proved to be justified, with him managing just three goals and one assist in 31 games for Everton and his most memorable moment arguably being a sending off.
He departed Goodison Park on a free transfer at the end of January, moving to River Plate in Argentina on a deal until 2025. And it seems, just a few months after that move, the Argentine giants are also sick of him, according to Fanaticos.
They say the 33-year-old has ‘not worked out at all’, with the decision to pay $2m to sign 100% of his rights, ‘significant money’ for the club at this point, one that is now being ‘highly criticised’ by the fanbase.
They believe paying that figure ‘is not justified’ in the slightest and have been vindicated in that belief by the player’s performances as he’s managed ‘a couple of goals’ and nothing more.
Indeed, Rondón now finds himself out of the team in favour of Miguel Ángel Borja and there is even a belief that they need to ‘continue working’ on his physical form before he can be of any use.
That’s a familiar tale from his time at Everton, where it was consistently felt that once he got fit, he may be able to make an impact. That, of course, never happened and it seems River’s fans are now as annoyed as Everton’s were by the striker’s mere presence at their club.
