Reports: Liverpool set to beat Manchester United to £52 million Real Madrid superstar

What’s the story?

Liverpool are currently in the bad graces of everyone, including their own supporters, after the Virgil van Dyk episode but they appear hell-bent on making a splash in the transfer market. Spanish publication Don Balon reports that the Anfield outfit have prepared a £52 million bid for the Colombian superstar James Rodriguez as Real Madrid continue to look for a suitable suitor. While any report emanating from there ought to be taken with a pinch of salt or three it is true that James has had a number of suitors with him being heavily linked to Manchester United for a long time. Inter Milan recently had a £42 million bid rejected by the Spanish Champions. Hence, the £10 million extra from Liverpool, a sum they reportedly believe is enough to tip the scales and beat out competition from both Inter and their fierce rivals Manchester United

In case you didn’t know

Despite not playing much – he’s played on 1498 minutes across competitions all season -, James has had a pretty decent season, scoring 11 and assisting 8 times. In fact in La Liga, he has 8 goals and 6 assists from just 13 matches. It is this impeccable record of his that is attracting big money bids from everyone from Serie A to the Premier League.

The heart of the matter

James has scored, or assisted, almost every time he’s stepped foot on the pitch – even as a substitute – but Zinedine Zidane has not played him simply because he doesn’t deem the Colombian a good fit for the team dynamic.

Read, Also – Iron fist in a velvet glove: Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid’s philosophy

The Frenchman’s ruthlessness was there for all to see when he didn’t even name James in the matchday 18 for the UEFA Champions League Final

Video

James has a pretty good 3 years in the capital of Spain –

Boy, the lad can play, eh?

Author’s Take

Sure, the van Dyk episode has left Liverpool in a right state, and smashing the club record (£35 million for Andy Carroll) for a genuine world-class superstar would certainly wipe the slate clean (and then some). But this might just be another Carroll-esque buy. The big English striker thrived in Newcastle because the team plan revolved around him, but that was not the case at Liverpool, and the more ground-passing-based game of the Anfield giants simply didn't suit him. Similarly, James Rodriguez is a wonderful footballer – if you build the team around him like Jose Pekerman has done with Colombia. The coach was recently quoted as saying “In general, the South American player is not so understood in Europe, because his style and creativity needs a stability that sometimes he cannot find.” and that is the crux of the problem here.

Jurgen Klopp’s gegen-pressing, all-action, all-running style is the very antithesis of everything James stands for as a footballer. While it’s true that he might just be the spark that catalyses Liverpool to end their quarter-century wait for domestic glory this might just be too be big a risk for Liverpool.