Real Madrid: James Rodriguez only has eyes on one team

Real Madrid attacking midfielder James Rodriguez is inching closer to joining a hated rival this summer.

Although it’s hard to guess what the summer transfer market will look like this year, Real Madrid will make every effort to sell two big-name attacking players in Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez.

For reasons due to 2019-2020 form and salary, James is the more desirable target for other clubs. And it seems like he’s close to joining bitter rivals Atletico Madrid, with the links between player and club intensifying over the past week.

Now, Brújula del Deporte’s Fernando Burgos reports that James Rodriguez clearly favors only one team as a targeted destination. Atletico Madrid.

While James still seems to love Real and wanted to prove himself at the club to manager Zinedine Zidane, he also wants to stay in Madrid. Bale is the same way. But unlike Bale, James has a chance to go to Atleti, since he’d actually fit the team and still has the quality to play at a high level for a club desperately needing a player who can unlock Diego Costa and Joao Felix‘s scoring talents.

However, there is a catch to a potential deal between the clubs, and it has to do with the one word you’d expect. Salary.

As Brújula del Deporte notes, James is set to make 8.5 million euros next season in the final year of his deal, and he when he transfers to a new club, whether it’s Atletico or a club in the Premier League like Everton, he may not be open to a significant paycut.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid should be able to get a deal done if James is uninterested in going elsewhere, though Everton have the money, ambition, and manager (Carlo Ancelotti) to swing a deal, too.

It will be tough seeing James playing for the crosstown rivals, but this could be the opportunity the Colombian playmaker needs to be a superstar again and enjoy his football. Hopefully, luck is on his side, as his once-promising 2019-2020 season was derailed by nagging injuries.