What’s the story?
Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez has expressed his desire to remain at the club after his star-studded performance against Napoli last night in the Champions League. Los Blancos went behind to an early goal from Insigne but recovered quickly and turned it into a comfortable win at the Bernabeu.
The Colombian winger was in fine fettle during the 3-1 win, running the show from midfield. It was the kind of cutting edge and thrust we usually expect from his game but unfortunately, he hasn’t shown it consistently enough.
But after last night’s performance, we might see a more consistent side of him for the remainder of the season. Speaking after the game he said, “I think everything is going well, Madrid are a big club and I always wanted to be here. Good and bad things always happen but I want to stay here for a lot longer. I always train to play and I want to be here. You always want to play, now that I have more game time, everything is slowly changing.”
In case you didn’t know...
James Rodriguez came for a hefty price tag from AS Monaco. It was the same season Luis Suarez joined Barcelona from Liverpool for a similar fee. Rodriguez had won the Golden Boot during the 2014 world cup as well.
The heart of the matter
James Rodriguez angered some of his Real Madrid teammates a few weeks ago when he said he wasn't sure if his future was in Madrid. Sergio Ramos in particular was angry with the Colombian calling his quotes untimely in nature.
But now it seems he has made a U-Turn on his decision proclaiming he wants to stay at the club. In truth, Rodriguez probably never wanted to leave the club but said what he said because of the immense criticism he has had to face.
The 25-year-old definitely has the potential to become one of the greats for Real Madrid but is probably lacking in confidence. His performance yesterday showed that he has quality and can be the instigator when he wants to be.
Rodriguez has always had the intention of staying at the club and Zinedine Zidane has put a lot of faith in him as well.
What’s next?
James Rodriguez has until the end of the season to prove his worth to Madrid. If he feels unwanted at the club there are several teams around Europe who would be willing to sign him.
Sportskeeda’s take
If Zidane remains the manager of Real Madrid for next season Rodriguez will always have a place in his first team. But the Colombian has to do his part as well and earn a little bit more consistency in his gameplay.
