4 players who need to leave their clubs this January to revive their careers

#3 James Rodriguez

SL Benfica v FC Bayern Muenchen - UEFA Champions League Group E

The breakout star of the 2014 World Cup, James Rodriguez captured the imagination of the world with his displays for Colombia at the 2014 Mundial. He won the Puskas award for his screamer against Uruguay in the second round and also the Golden Boor for his overall efforts.

A marquee move was expected for the then Monaco midfielder and it came as no surprise when Real Madrid made him one of the most expensive players in history to bring him to the Bernabeu.

He spent the next three seasons at Real Madrid, winning seven trophies, but saw a massive reduction in his playing time upon the arrival of Zinedine Zidane as manager.

The search for regular playing time saw the 27-year-old undergo a two-year loan transfer to Bayern Munich and it proved immensely beneficial as the Colombian was a regular fixture in Bayern's sixth consecutive Bundesliga crown.

However, since Niko Kovac's appointment in the summer as Bayern boss, James once more finds himself on the fringes, having made just eight Bundesliga appearances so far this season.

Rodriguez then also hit out at Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic over his lack of playing time, with reports suggesting that he considers his Bayern days to be over. He is still only 27 and a move away from Bayern might resurrect his career.