Real Madrid: 5 players who don’t have a long-term future with the club

CAM James Rodriguez

Another player who has served the club well over the years, James Rodriguez may be the most tearful goodbye for Madridistas. He joined Real Madrid after a sensational 2014 World Cup with a lot of fanfare and won trophies with Los Blancos, and he had some truly spectacular goals in a White kit.

But James never quite became a superstar at the Santiago Bernabeu. He showed superstar class in his first season with Bayern Munich under Carlo Ancelotti, but he could not get the same opportunities under the unimaginative Niko Kovac.

James started the 2019-2020 season well enough for Real Madrid upon his return, but then he fell out of favor with Zinedine Zidane after injuries and Isco’s own return to form. The work rate was there for James, who played a lot more defensively and even put in a massive shift at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on defense in a 1-0 win over Sevilla.

The chance creation is still there. The eye for the spectacular and marketability are tantalizing. But with his wages and the financial situation in football, the Colombian No. 10 may find it hard to achieve a transfer with the right system fit.

But with young players rising through the ranks like Takefusa Kubo and Martin Odegaard, it’s time for James and Real to give their sad farewells.