This summer is very crucial for James Rodriguez. He needs to make a decision: whether to stay at Real Madrid or to move elsewhere. The 2015/16 campaign didn’t particularly go well for him. He first fell out with Rafael Benitez and then saw his game time getting curtailed under Zinedine Zidane.
Each manager has his own set of ideas and Rodriguez probably doesn’t not fit into the plans of the Frenchman. Under Carlo Ancelotti, James was one of the first names on the team-sheet but not anymore. He has dropped down the pecking orders at the club and didn’t even get a minute to play in the Champions League final that shows the manager doesn’t have enough faith and confidence in him.
James has given a thought about his present situation at the club. He is settled in Madrid and loves the city but at the same time wants to feel important at the club. According to reports from Spanish newspaper Marca, James and his agent Jorge Mendes will hold a meeting with the club president shortly to discuss his future. Zidane simply doesn’t rate him high enough simply on the basis of performance. And there’s no guarantee his situation will dramatically improve next season.
Florentino Perez, the club president, wants Rodriguez to stay but at the same time, the Colombian will be allowed to leave if Los Blancos get a good offer for him. Several top European clubs have had inquired about James’ asking price in the past few months. Madrid value him around €80m while so far interested parties were willing to pay €60m which is some way short of the club’s valuation.
Manchester United are showing a keen interest in signing James and the Red Devils are leading the race (probably they’re ready to meet his asking price) for his signature. Apart from United, Premier League giants Chelsea are also reportedly willing to add him to their ranks. French champions PSG are seemingly interested too while West Ham could make an ambitious bid for the Real Madrid star as well.
As it stands, James will take a key decision this summer only after holding a meeting with the club president in Montreal. If he is not assured (more likely because Perez would hardly want to anger Zidane especially after his heroic UCL triumph) of regular game time, there is a high chance Mendes will take him away from Bernabeu in the summer.
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