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#8 James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich)
James Rodriguez is a 27-year-old attacking midfielder who currently plays for Bayern Munich, on loan from Real Madrid. He has featured for his country, Colombia, a total of 68 times since making his debut in October 2011.
Perhaps one of the most high-profile players on this list, Rodriguez made a name for himself in the 2014 FIFA World Cup with a string of superb performances. His style caught the eye of Real Madrid, who bought him from AS Monaco that very summer for around £70m. And whilst his time at Madrid started off promisingly enough, he soon began to slip down the rankings until he was surplus to requirements.
In recent years, he's been with Bayern Munich on loan. There is an option for Bayern to buy Rodriguez at the end of his spell, but it doesn't necessarily mean that Munich will get first dibs over other clubs competing for his signature. That decision lies with Madrid.
Now that Rodriguez has experienced La Liga and the Bundesliga, he might be up for a new challenge, especially now that he's nearing his 30s, as he might not get another chance like this one. If a club like Arsenal swoops in for him in the summer, I think he'd be wise to take it as if he can prove himself in the Premier League as well, then he'd be regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world right now.
The only thing that might put the Gunners off is the £60m price tag that Madrid are after. But a club as rich as Arsenal certainly have the cash in the bank to see this transfer through, it just comes down to what they truly feel is best for the team.
