James Rodriguez joined Everton on a free transfer, it has been claimed.
The Colombia international moved to Goodison Park last week following a six-year spell at Real Madrid, where he previously worked under Carlo Ancelotti.
Rodriguez enjoyed an instant impact for the Blues with an encouraging performance in their Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur.
But one of the 29-year-old’s former clubs has now alleged that Real waived a transfer fee for the player as part of his high-profile switch to Merseyside.
Had the Spanish champions recouped any of Rodriguez’s transfer valuation, his old team Banfield would be due a nominal fee as solidarity payments.
However the Argentine club’s treasurer Ignacio Uzquiza revealed on Thursday that Real received no money for selling the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner.
He said: “After hearing the news of the transfer of James Rodriguez from Real Madrid to Everton, and with attention to the current FIFA regulations, the Club Atletico Banfield made the pertinent inquiries to find out if it was their responsibility to collect money through a solidarity mechanism.
“Despite various reports from news outlets that indicated that the transfer had been for a significant cost – a situation in which Banfield was going to have benefited from with a percentage of that sum for having contributed to the training of the player – we have discovered that this was not the case.
“Unfortunately, because of the nature of James Rodriguez’s transfer from Real Madrid to Everton to Banfield, no money is due.
“The transaction was made at no cost, as if he were a free player.”
Meanwhile Everton face a home tie against either West Ham or Hull City if they overcome Fleetwood Town in next week’s Carabao Cup third round.
Ancelotti’s side set up a third round encounter with the League One outfit following Wednesday’s comfortable 3-0 win over Salford City at Goodison.