Manchester United are reportedly stepping up their pursuit of Real Madrid superstar James Rodriguez as a replacement for outbound Wayne Rooney.
According to The Independent, Manchester United are ready to step up their pursuit of James Rodriguez after securing Romelu Lukaku to lead the frontline. Wayne Rooney is set to move the other side as part of the deal and the Colombian is being eyed as the icon’s replacement.
James Rodriguez has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for a while now – at least the entirety of the summer right now. The Colombian arrived at Real Madrid post-2014 World Cup amidst much fanfare and hype. And he delivered as well, with magical performances in his initial seasons at Santiago Bernabeu.
However, Zinedine Zidane’s appointment as manager has seen his role diminish within the first-team setup and the player has been restricted to play more of a squad rotational role – the player, though, has excelled even in the diminished role, which has seen fans call for more game time for the former AS Monaco man.
Zidane on the other hand, does not share the same opinion and with the World Cup right around the corner, James is ready to leave for pastures anew in order to get some game time and Manchester United have been long touted as the prime suitor in the race to land the 25-year-old.
James Rodriguez is getting more closer to move to Manchester United. (@elchiringuitotv) #MUFC pic.twitter.com/RZuPCWXfic
— Ammad United ?? (@Ammadutd) June 30, 2017
The Red Devils are set to bid Wayne Rooney adieu. The Evertonian is set to return to Goodison Park after gaining the status of an icon and a future legend at Old Trafford. And as the English veteran says goodbye to the fans, United are looking to replace the attacker with a number 10 who is also celebrated back in his home country.
The question, though, lies in the fact that United have so many players that can play number 10 – Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and even Paul Pogba – and a move for the Colombian might complicate things upfront especially with Mourinho also gunning for a winger as well.
The pursuit of James Rodriguez might hint towards the availability of either of Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitarayan. United have been knocked back already in a bid to land the 25-year-old in the summer. And with the recent breakdown of their negotiations with Real for Morata, there may be some complications in this deal as well.
Real want €70 million for James. But, United would hope to negotiate a lower fee for the player. It would be interesting to see how the transfer rumour develops and whether United can snap up another valuable addition to their already glittering squad.