James Rodriguez faces an uncertain future as Real Madrid are not interested in taking him back, while he isn’t keen on making his Bayern Munich move permanent.
Real Madrid superstar James Rodriguez’s future ahead of the next season is far from certain. The Colombian playmaker, who is currently away on loan at German champions Bayern Munich, had reportedly set his eyes on a return to his parent club. However, Real Madrid have no interest in keeping him in the squad, as per a report from Spanish publication MARCA.
James Rodriguez joined Real Madrid back in the summer of 2014 after a spectacular World Cup with Colombia and went on to become an integral member of the team under then manager Carlo Ancelotti. However, once Zinedine Zidane took over the reins at the club midway through the 2015-16 campaign, the attacking midfielder saw his game time reduce drastically.
James was not a regular in the first-team and was occupying one of the three Non-EU player slots permitted by La Liga, which is why Real Madrid decided to farm him out on loan to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2017. His time with the Bavarian giants has been a bit of a mixed bag, as he has often found himself in and out of the team, especially in this season under manager Niko Kovac.
So far in the 2018-19 campaign, James has featured on just 25 occasions across all competitions, contributing with 7 goals and 6 assists in the process. Bayern Munich have the option of making the deal permanent for a fee of €42 million, but as per the report the 27-year-old isn’t interested in furthering his stay at the Allianz Arena.
Reports in February had claimed that James was keen on returning to Real Madrid in order to fight for his place, but with Zinedine Zidane back at the helm of the things, it is unlikely that his situation would be any different from what it was a couple of years ago.
Despite the fact that James now possesses a Spanish passport and will not occupy the Non-EU player slots, Real Madrid don’t want him back, MARCA claims. Add to it, the potential arrival of Chelsea superstar of Eden Hazard would mean added competition for places for the Colombian international.
There has been significant interest from Serie A champions Juventus, as per the report from MARCA and that could prove to be the most suitable destination for the Colombian as things stand. Another possibility would be that Real Madrid use him as a makeweight in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur star Christian Eriksen, but the player does not favour a move to the Premier League.
James is contracted with Real Madrid till the summer of 2021, but the Spanish heavyweights are not interested in bringing him back. And with him not keen on making his transfer to Bayern Munich permanent, it will be interesting to see where the talented 27-year-old ends up come next season.
