What’s the story?
There has been intense speculation on the future of Real Madrid star James Rodriguez with the Colombian playmaker being heavily linked with a move to Premier League giants Manchester United or Chelsea. However, after Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory against Sevilla in the Copa Del Rey last night, James Rodriguez said that he was not interested in making a move in the transfer window.
"Everyone in the team wants to play all the time and we all go through bad moments but now a new year has begun for me and I'm staying, I'm staying at Madrid," Rodriguez told reporters.
The 25-year-old opened the scoring against Sevilla in the 11th minute with a low curling effort from the edge of the area and hit the third from the penalty spot.
"I just want to play well when I have the chance and be able to do good things like I did today and help the team by scoring goals," he added.
In case you didn’t know...
James Rodriguez was signed by Real Madrid for a massive transfer fee of approximately €80 million after his stunning performances in 2014 World Cup. Although the Colombian had a decent first season, he has struggled to nail down a regular starting berth under Zidane.
While Zidane has insisted that James is an integral part of the Real Madrid squad, there were number of reports that the Real Madrid star was looking for a move away in search of regular playing time.
However, his recent comments show that the Colombian is willing to fight for his place and stay at the Bernabeu.
Heart of the matter
With Real Madrid challenging on multiple fronts for titles this season, the news of James Rodriguez staying will come as welcome news to Zidane and his backroom staff. While James might not be the first name on the team-sheet, there is no denying the quality he has and his contributions might prove to be vital at the end of the season.
What’s next?
With Real Madrid having a transfer ban in this January transfer window, no first team star is expected to leave. Also, a fit and motivated James Rodriguez is an asset to any team and he will be doing his best to bring himself back in Zidane’s first team plans and get into the Starting XI more regularly.
Sportskeeda’s take
While James Rodriguez might have confirmed his near future, if his playing time does not increase, he might well end up leaving Real Madrid in the summer transfer window. James Rodriguez is still one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, and there is no doubt that a player of his calibre will not be staisfied with a bit-part role in any football team.
