Arsenal are keen on signing Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez for £3 million from La Liga giants Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are willing to let the 27-year-old cut short his loan spell and head over to the Emirates if his loan dues can be met.
Arsenal Want James Rodriguez on Loan
The attacking midfielder was signed by Real Madrid from Monaco in 2014. Rodriguez’s exploits in the World Cup raised the stakes and the Galacticos signed him for a then-record £75 million. Since the high-profile transfer, it has been a silent phase of sorts for a player of his calibre.
In a short span of three years, James Rodriguez was deemed surplus to requirement and loaned out to Bayern Munich. His loan move to the German side yielded significant results in the first season itself as he was involved in eight goals and 14 assists in 39 games across all competitions.
However, since the arrival of Niko Kovac as manager, James Rodriguez‘s stock seems to have fallen drastically and now it appears as if the talented 27-year-old Colombian playmaker’s talents are being unnecessarily wasted after having received just seven starts this season with the latest coming back on 3 November.
Mesut Ozil Replacement?
According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal are reported to be very much interested in securing his services and are targeting a move for the 27-year-old James Rodriguez in the January window. His tussle in securing a place in the starting XI and frustration of being benched more often than being played may just facilitate a move in Arsenal’s favour.
This could provide a key balance between the midfield and the strikers keeping in mind the versatility of Rodriguez. The current Arsenal squad looks weak, drained and devoid of ideas at the moment and they badly need to add reinforcements in all areas. The creative department has a big void in the absence of Mesut Ozil, who has blatantly been left out of the matchday squad far too many times this season in the name of tactical purposes.
They are still unclear on whether to sign Denis Suarez or loan him for the remainder of the season allegedly due to lack of funds and Barcelona’s reluctance in letting him leave for anything other than a permanent deal.
He has been their primary target for a while now but Barcelona are pressing for a permanent deal or a firm commitment for their valuation to be met in the summer for any move to go through, whereas the gunners have so far only shown interest in a simple loan move this month.
Bizarre Rule
James Rodriguez’s struggles to cement his place in the German side may pave the way for a move to the Premier League side. Any move for James in this window would signal a clear intention about the Arsenal hierarchy pushing for an exit of the fan favourite Mesut Ozil. The Arsenal No 10 is presently undergoing a pretty rough season with frequent altercations with the manager and a move for Rodriguez would clearly signal an end to his Arsenal career.
Furthermore, a bizarre rule on FIFA’s part allows Arsenal to actually push for a player who is owned by one club on loan to another club by paying just £3 million of the £11.5 million loan fee agreed by Bayern Munich with Real Madrid.
Given that Arsenal can only sign players on loan this season, a move for a player like James Rodriguez could actually be what’s needed to salvage their season and galvanise the players in making a strong push for the top four from now until the end of the season.
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