Manchester United have reportedly set their sights on James Rodriguez, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich from Real Madrid.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Don Balon, James Rodriguez is the subject of interest from Manchester United. The Premier League heavyweights hold a long-standing interest in the Colombian, who is on a loan spell at Bayern Munich from Real Madrid, and are set to lodge a bid for him in the summer transfer window.
James Rodriguez had endured a turbulent period under the tutelage of Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, reduced to a bit-part player in the 2016-17 season. But, upon joining Bayern Munich on a two-year loan spell, the player has rediscovered the swagger and verve that earned him the move to the Bernabeu in the first place.
A mainstay for Bayern now, James has appeared in each of Die Roten’s Champions League games, while also making 21 appearances in Bundesliga. His return isn’t too shabby either, with 6 goals and 13 assists to show for his efforts. His advent at the Allianz Arena is now drawing interest from other clubs that are looking to swoop him away from Real Madrid on a permanent move.
One club that have had their eye on him for a long time are Manchester United. Jose Mourinho does already have a gamut of attacking players at his disposal, but the Red Devils have often found it tough to break down sturdy defensive units, with Juan Mata the only player capable of finding space in between the lines.
James is, thus, a viable target purely as a creative option for Manchester United, but there are other reasons why he could be a tempting prospect. The player cannot just play across different positions behind the striker but can also slot in midfield, as he has shown for Bayern this season, potentially making him a complement for Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic.
The report suggests that James might be open to a move away from Allianz Arena as well as he is concerned that he could fall down the pecking order when Niko Kovac takes over from Jupp Heynckes, which suggests that his next permanent away from Real Madrid might not be at Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are ready to lodge a bid for James when the summer transfer window opens, and Mourinho is confident that the player and his own agent, Jorge Mendes will be able to broker a deal. It now remains to be seen if his Real Madrid career ends with a move to Old Trafford.