Real Madrid: James Rodriguez reportedly wants to join rivals this summer
Real Madrid center attacking midfielder James Rodriguez is brimming with technical quality, but his days at the Santiago Bernabeu seem numbered.
James Rodriguez was, like Gareth Bale and others, mired in transfer rumors this past summer. Madridistas understand that manager Zinedine Zidane prefers Isco to James as a starter, and his preference has been vindicated in recent weeks, with Isco playing as Real Madrid’s most consistent attacking player over the past few weeks.
Meanwhile, James has been on the outside looking in. The Colombian playmaker started the 2019-2020 season brightly, creating clear-cut chances for attackers and showing some goal-scoring ability of his own. James was also a bright spot on set pieces.
However, injuries caused James to lose his place in the lineup, and the resurgent play of superstars Luka Modric and Isco have sealed his fate on the bench. Now, James could be looking for a new home in the summer of 2020, and there should be plenty of teams interested in a playmaker in the prime of his career.
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According to a report from Gol TV, via Managing Madrid’s Lucas Navarrete, James would like to stay in Madrid. But he’s actually reportedly eyeing a move to bitter rivals Atletico Madrid in order to stay in the club.
James had been linked to clubs like Everton (Carlo Ancelotti, of course) and Arsenal this past summer, but there was essentially zero chance of a deal being completed with a Premier League club in the winter period.
Part of this was due to James’ injury, but another part was due to question marks around Isco. Since then, Isco has answered those questions.
Although James is a talented player, Real Madrid’s attacking midfield situation is crowded, and it will only become more crowded when the younger Marco Asensio returns from a serious pre-season injury.
Atletico need a playmaker like James, who can create chances from nothing and even score himself. While Los Rojiblancos are derided for playing a “boring” brand of football under Diego Simeone, their recent Champions League victory over Liverpool shows how effective it is.
Diego Costa and Joao Felix could benefit greatly from a better attacking midfielder, and James could set up plenty of goals for Joao Felix in 2020-2021 if an affordable deal is completed.
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It’s unclear how Real Madrid would feel about selling a world-class talent to their crosstown rivals, but if James’ heart is set on staying in Madrid, this may be the deal that goes down.