Real Madrid attacking midfielder James Rodriguez is reportedly on his way out of the club with Manchester United the favourites to land the superstar.
James Rodriguez came to the fore in the 2014 World Cup, scoring 5 goals in 4 games as an attacking midfielder for Colombia. The trequartista was showered with praises and awards alike winning the World Cup Golden Boot and finding a place in FIFA’s All-Star Team and Dream Team for the 2014 World Cup. He joined Real Madrid after the World Cup in the summer window of 2014-15 season from AS Monaco in a deal worth around €80m.
Real Madrid’s new number 10 was an instant hit for the club and set the La Liga ablaze with his brilliance. James recorded 13 goals and 13 assists in his 29 La Liga appearances in his debut season for the club. The Colombian was also the highest rated player with an average rating of 7.85 in the league, after the terrific trio of Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar (stats via whoscored). He was awarded LFP’s Midfielder of the Year award for the season and also found a place in the Team of the Season.
The last season was a bit of a mixture for James, with some impressive performances and some almost invisible ones. The midfielder was mostly restricted to substitute appearances under the new manager Zinedine Zidane but still managed to return a decent tally of 7 goals and 8 assists in 26 games. James didn’t have a major impact for Colombia in Copa America in his 4 appearances for the nation.
The midfielder appeared to be miffed at playing no part in the club’s Champions league final, where they ended up winning the UnDecima. Spanish publication Marca has now reported that James’s future as a part of the Galacticos is in doubts with the Premier League an increasingly possible destination for the player. The report goes on to state that Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United are the leading candidates to sign the Colombian.
According to the report, Real Madrid’s price for the player is €80m and are looking to recover at least their investment in the player. The report comes days after a piece by fellow Spanish publication AS which reported that according to the hierarchy at Real Madrid, James Rodriguez was playing with fire by showing a lack of intent and commitment towards the club.
The reports state that while James Rodriguez wants to feel important and be assured that his role as a starter in the first-team is not under dispute, Zinedine Zidane is hoping for a change in the player’s attitude towards the club. The playmaker has been linked with a host of clubs in recent times, most of them being European heavyweights.
Arsenal were rumoured to be interested in the playmaker while there were reports linking James to French champions PSG. Manchester United were also reportedly interested in securing the player’s signature and according to Marca’s reports, Jose Mourinho’s employers are the favourites to land the superstar.
Manchester United are one of the few clubs who can offer Real Madrid the price they are looking for in order to accept a bid for the Colombian. James will undoubtedly be a great signing for Manchester United and the Premier League in general. But, there seem to be too many players at the same position as James and Jose would have to look to offload a couple of players to make space for the Colombian. This move looks like it could be in the preliminary stage right now and would actively need a few weeks to get done provided the Red Devils are able to let some players leave.
James, though, may still choose to stay with the Galacticos and fight for his place in the team. The playmaker has shown he can be instrumental to Real Madrid’s campaign in his debut season with the club. Zinedine Zidane would be hoping the Colombian decides to stay and is finally able to replicate his debut-season form.
