What’s the story?
James Rodriguez and Pepe are on the verge of joining Inter Milan according to SportItalia. The Italian publication claims that the Real Madrid duo have been offered to the Serie A side by their agent, Jorge Mendes.
Inter Milan have had a Chinese takeover and are set to go on spending spree this summer. Apart from the Madrid duo, the Nerazzurri’s have an eye on Di Maria, Radja Nainggolan and Antonio Rudiger. They even tried to get Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte but the interest was rebuffed by the coach and the Premier League side.
Previously...
Pepe was linked with a move to China. The Portuguese defender’s contract at Bernabeu ends this summer and Los Blancos have shown no intention of renewing it.
The player is still waiting for the official confirmation but is also in talks with other clubs. He was also linked with moves to Chelsea and Manchester United.
Meanwhile, James Rodriguez's future at Real Madrid is also in doubts. The Colombian has not featured regularly under Zinedine Zidane and is looking for a move away.
He too was linked with Chelsea and Manchester United while a deal with Bayern Munich was also reported. The player has also confirmed that his future is away from Bernabeu but will wait before revealing the destination.
Going in depth
Inter Milan have held talks with Real Madrid for James Rodriguez while also starting negotiations with Pepe. The Spanish giants are reportedly demanding €75 million for the forward.
Pepe is free to negotiate with any club he wants and Inter Milan are now holding talks with him and his agent. Jorge Mendes wants both the deals to take place and SportItalia reports that he is forcing Madrid to complete the deal soon.
What’s next?
Real Madrid are likely to hold off all negotiations until the 4th of June. The Spanish giants take on Juventus in the UEFA Champions League final and are on the verge of creating history. If Los Blancos win, not only will it be their 12th European title, they will be the first club to successfully defend their title in the modern era.
Inter Milan however, would want to speed things up as Manchester United are said to be ‘extremly keen’ on signing James Rodriguez. Jose Mourinho sees him as the ideal player to improve his squad and wants him to be a part of the deal that takes David de Gea to Bernabeu.
Author’s Take
Moving to Serie A would be a great option for Pepe but James Rodriguez should try and move to a club that is in the Champions League. He has got a lot of potentials and can turn out to be one of the best in the world if he plays regularly at a top club.
