What’s the story?
Paris St-Germain are in talks to sign James Rodriguez from Real Madrid, according to multiple reports in Spanish daily Marca and French news outlet France Football. The Ligue 1 giants have apparently submitted a €70 million bid, which trumps that of Manchester United. The Colombian’s stepfather, Juan Carlos Restrepo all but confirmed James’ move away, saying “If it was up to me, I’d tell him to look for a club where he can play. I don’t think that James has been short on support at Real, I think he has the fans’ affection, but a talent like his needs to be on the football pitch.”
Previously...
James Rodriguez appeared to say goodbye in the final game of the season at Santiago Bernabeu, applauding all sides of the stadium as he was substituted. This sparked a fresh set of rumours of a move, and when Madrid President, Florentino Perez, was asked about it in the aftermath of the UEFA Champions League victory, he replied, “We're going to speak with Zidane, who's the conductor of this orchestra. If it were up to me, everyone would stay. James is an incredible player, but when you have so many..."I'd have everyone stay. We'll speak with the coach; he is the person who will decide the future.”
Also Read: 5 Real Madrid players Zinedine Zidane wants sold this summer
The heart of the matter
Reports in the Spanish press claim that PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi met with James Rodriguez’ agent, Jorge Mendes, to explore the possibility of a move. The French giants missed out on the Ligue 1 title to AS Monaco and are desperate for a marquee signing to appease their fans and reignite their dominance of Ligue 1, with Unai Emery approving of this move.
Real Madrid have already rejected a €42 million offer from Inter Milan, and with Manchester United not likely to offer more than €60 million, PSG are in pole position to sign James with a €70 million bid. Despite barely playing this season, the Colombian’s stock has not fallen – due to being productive in the few minutes he was offered on the pitch.
Also Read: Real Madrid Player Ratings for the 2016/17 season
As such Real Madrid are set to recoup most of the €80 million fee they paid AS Monaco for the Colombian in 2014, which ought to see this bid accepted.
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Author’s Take:
James Rodriguez is still an incredibly good player, and alongside Angel di Maria, the Colombian could form one of the most fearsome creative partnerships in all of Europe. PSG would also represent a sufficiently big club with UEFA Champions League aspirations so that James’ sporting ambitions would not be thwarted.
