According to Kieran Lynch from Daily Mail, James Rodriguez and his agent Jorge Mendes have been in talks with Manchester United and Juventus. La Liga giants Real Madrid are looking to offload the Colombian after a disappointing season.
James and Agent in Negotiations with European Giants
Real Madrid Ready to Cash In on The Colombian
Ever since arriving at Madrid from Monaco after a phenomenal 2014 World Cup, James hasn’t lived up to the hype.
He has faced injury problems this season and in seasons past. But his stats while he has played for Madrid are not star-striking. His 2014/15 season was great, scoring 13 goals and grabbing 13 assists in his debut La Liga season. However, he only recorded 15 goals and 14 assists in the next two seasons. James then moved to Bayern Munich on a two-year loan deal, where he scored 15 goals and secured 19 assists in all competitions over the course of the deal.
On his return to Madrid, many fans were eager to see James back to business as he was in his first season. This has not been the case. His injury-riddled season has gained him a single goal and just two assists. He’s only played a handful of matches.
This has prompted Real Madrid to offload the Colombian attacking midfielder, with Juventus and Manchester United interested.
Premier League and Serie A Interest
Juventus are reportedly interested in a deal for James Rodriguez.
His price tag has recently been dropped by Real Madrid to only around £30 million. If he were to sign for the Old Lady, he would reunite with Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
Manchester United are also keeping an eye on his situation and have previously been linked in a potential swap deal which could see Paul Pogba head the other way. Manager Zinedine Zidane has long been an admirer of the Frenchman. Plus, with an injury-prone midfielder in Rodriguez, they could use him to convince Manchester United to let Pogba go.
Rodriguez’s contract is up in the summer of 2021. This leaves Real Madrid needing to cash in while they have the chance.
Who Should James Sign For? Are there any Outside Candidates?
The Colombian has to leave Real Madrid if he is to look for game time. Manchester United and Juventus are both huge clubs with huge reputations. However, if you were to look at the competition he’s facing, both would be a struggle.
He’d have to get past the likes of Paulo Dybala and the disappointing Federico Bernardesci for the attacking-mid role, and at United, he’d have to slot behind or beside a promising Bruno Fernandes, who has only just arrived at Old Trafford. He could be played on the wing, however.
One outside candidate for James is Everton, who have been monitoring him since his price tag dropped. He would easily slot into the Blues’ starting lineup, perhaps even above the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson.
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