Manchester United are looking to make a sudden scoop for Real Madrid star James Rodriguez. The Colombian star joined Madrid in a deal worth around £75 million and he still remains as one of the most expensive players in the world, but he has found first-team opportunities difficult under current manager Zinedine Zidane. It has led to numerous rumours linking Rodriguez with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu. Chelsea are thought to have registered the first interest in the 25-year-old, as they intend to use the cash from the sale of Oscar to Shanghai SIPG.
Oscar generated a massive £52 million in new transfer money for Antonio Conte. As a result, they are ready to pay around £70 million demanded by Real Madrid in order to sign Rodriguez. It would seem that few clubs in the world would think twice about paying this extravagant sum of money for a bench warmer at Real Madrid, but another has joined in the mix. According to the reports from the Daily Mirror, United are looking to snatch Rodriguez from the clutches of Chelsea, and the fact that both Rodriguez and Jose Mourinho are represented by agent Jorge Mendes has further fueled the spark.
Bringing in the Colombian superstar will put an end to Manchester United’s chase for French superstar Antoine Griezmann. The Atletico Madrid player is expected to cost in the region of £ 85 million, making him a slightly more expensive proposition. Furthermore, Griezmann has not had the best of seasons so far after managing only seven goals in 16 appearances in the league. Rodriguez has not played much first-team football this season with only four league starts, but he has scored only one goal in the nine appearances.
Rodriguez, though, is capable of playing in a number of positions across the front three. This makes him an extremely versatile option for United to possess in the squad. Even though Rooney recently equalled the Sir Bobby Charlton record with a goal in the 4-0 win over Reading in the FA Cup, it appears that manager Jose Mourinho is still not convinced by the striker in the 4-2-3-1 setup he is building at the club. Rodriguez would perfectly fit into this setup after having played in the system throughout his career.
The only issue preventing United from signing Rodriguez is the transfer ban currently placed upon Real Madrid. The club were initially banned from signing players for two transfer windows, but it has been reduced to one upon appeal. As a result, the club will be able to sign players in the summer and not in this January transfer window. As Madrid are in a position to win the title for the first time in five years, it may be highly unlikely that Zidane would reduce the squad strength by selling Rodriguez.
