Real Madrid have reportedly dropped their valuation of James Rodriguez to just €25 million, putting Arsenal and Manchester United on red alert.
According to Marca, Real Madrid are prepared to offload James Rodriguez for a cut-price this summer. The Spanish giants are aware of the player’s desire to leave the Bernabeu and with his contract expiring at the end of next season, they are now willing to sell him for a fee of around €25 million.
It has reportedly put Arsenal and Manchester United on high alert and for obvious reasons. After all, James was on the verge of joining Napoli for €50 million last summer. Just before the winter transfer window earlier this year, even Arsenal were reportedly willing to splash €42 million on the Colombian international.
However, following the coronavirus pandemic that has inflicted massive economic damage on clubs across Europe, even Real Madrid are now desperate to gain some funds by selling some of their star players, with Rodriguez unsurprisingly topping the list.
The ex-AS Monaco star, having returned from his loan spell at Bayern Munich last summer, has endured a miserable campaign so far. He has featured in only eight games in La Liga, only five of which have actually been starts. He has notably featured in only one game since the return.
James’ lack of game-time is indeed unacceptable for a player of his calibre. He did show glimpses of his quality in the Bundesliga and with the playmaker having no future at Real Madrid, a move elsewhere should help him reinvigorate his career.
Arsenal, in that regard, could emerge as an ideal destination. The Gunners have been struggling with lack of creativity following the departure of Aaron Ramsey last summer while star playmaker Mesut Ozil hasn’t been able to make a huge difference either.
James, therefore, should be an ideal replacement for the ageing German playmaker. And with Nicolas Pepe finally returning to his old form, the Colombian could potentially create a deadly partnership with the Ivorian as well as other talented stars like Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka, who has recently signed a new contract.
Another option is Manchester United, which could also be an ideal destination, especially if the Red Devils do end up losing Paul Pobga in the summer. They have already had monumental success with the acquisition of Bruno Fernandes and the potential addition of James could further strengthen their creative unit.
At the same time, however, these two are not the only clubs seeking the services of James next season. In fact, Arsenal and Man United could both face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Wolves and Everton, where the player has a solid relationship with Carlo Ancelotti. Hence, it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga takes shape within the coming weeks.
