What’s the story?
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has said that he will deal with wantaway midfielder James Rodriguez, the same that he deals with everyone else in the Real Madrid squad.
“He is an important player for Madrid. I'm going to deal with him the same way as I deal with everyone here. Everyone is important and we will continue to work together,” said the French manager, as quoted from AS.
Also Read: James Rodriguez's chance for redemption at Real Madrid
Zidane also sympathised with Rodriguez and said that it is normal for a player to be angry after not featuring in a final.
In case you didn’t know...
The Colombian international joined Los Blancos in 2014 after putting in impressive displays for his national side in the 2014 World Cup. Rodriguez joined Madrid for around €80 million from French club AS Monaco.
The attacker featured prominently in his first season, playing 46 games and scoring 17 goals, but his involvement in the first-team decreased after his first season.
The heart of the matter
Rodriguez has played second fiddle to the trio of Benzema, Ronaldo and Bale, and, he has, at times, been overlooked for youngsters like Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez in the Real Madrid first-team.
This has not gone down well with the Colombian, which has prompted rumours of him leaving the club. He also confirmed after the Club World Cup final that “things aren’t going as I would want”, and although he would still love to stay, he wants to play more.
What next?
The Colombian international publicly said that he has offers in hand and that a move away from the Bernabeu could be a possibility. The Real Madrid attacker has been linked with several top clubs, including Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United, as well as Italian champions, Juventus.
Also Read: James Rodriguez's agent reveals that he will not leave Real Madrid in January
But, the rumours have eased off and reports suggest that Chelsea are out of the running to sign the 25-year-old. Rodriguez's father also confirmed that his son would stay at Real Madrid, at least till the end of the season.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Zidane has again reiterated that he hopes that Rodriguez would stay at Madrid and that he’s at the best club in the world, but the Colombian’s discontent is obvious. Any footballer, that too a quality player like Rodriguez, would love to play more for their club.
A transfer away from Madrid in the January transfer window does not look like a possibility, and the Colombian could move in the summer.
