Reports on Wednesday said that Inter Miami owner David Beckham was in discussion with Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez to bring the Colombian to MLS. If he’s smart, James will ignore the offer and stay in Europe.
With one year remaining on his current deal with Los Blancos, media pundits are in agreement that the club should sell James Rodriguez this summer before he has the opportunity to leave the club for free.
After winning the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup, Madridistas were ecstatic to have the playmaker join an already deep midfield corp that featured Luka Modric, Isco on the rise, along with Toni Kroos who had just arrived from Bayern.
After a stellar 2014/2015 season and a good season the year after, James’ form took a serious dip. The Colombian’s minutes took a dive with Kroos rising to his prime and Casemiro dominating in at CDM, and he was relegated to a super substitute.
Since the end of Real Madrid’s La Liga winning campaign in ’16/’17, Rodriguez has struggled with injuries while with Real and while he was on loan with Bayern Munich.
Everyone was thrilled to have the attacking midfielder back in the capital this year but once again, injuries and poor performances have made this one of the most underwhelming seasons I have seen from a player with this much talent.
James has made 13 appearances and it is not the poor play that has held him back, it has again been injuries. That being said, Rodriguez should not settle for a move to MLS this summer.
Part-owner of Inter Miami, David Beckham, has reached out to James and his agent in an attempt to make him the figurehead of the team, according to rumors.
Beckham is making big moves in Miami and hope is high around the United States that teams can start competing with some European leagues for talented players.
At 28, James Rodriguez still has several years left that should be considered his ‘prime.’ The injuries are worrisome, yes, but making a move to MLS before he is 30 seems to me like a waste of talent.
In maybe four years I could see him making the switch and making big money in the US, but if he is to leave Real Madrid this summer, he should look to move elsewhere in Europe. There are plenty of quality clubs who will be interested in his services and he deserves another shot.