Reports | Zinedine Zidane to allow James Rodriguez to stay at Real Madrid
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has made a rather surprising transfer u-turn over James Rodriguez, opting to keep the midfielder instead. The 28-year-old has not played a competitive game for Real Madrid in two years and has been linked with a move away as the club look to balance their books.
Having spent millions buying their new Galacticos, Real Madrid are desperate to offload a few stars to try and balance their books. But that is proving to be easier said than done, given the sheer lack of interest in any Real Madrid player this summer. However, with two suitors now chasing after James Rodriguez, it looks like manager Zinedine Zidane has changed his stance on the Colombian.
The Mirror has reported that Rodriguez is set to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the report further adding that Zidane views the former AS Monaco playmaker as a key part of his squad. The Colombian hasn't played a single competitive game for the club since the 2016/17 campaign, with him out on a two-year loan spell with Bayern Munich, although there was an option to make the move permanent.
That option wasn't taken by Bayern Munich, which saw theĀ 28-year-old transfer listed by the Los Blancos. He joined Gareth Bale, Isco Alarcon, and even Mariano Diaz on the transfer list, although there were two suitors in Napoli and Atletico Madrid keen on a move for Rodriguez.
Recent reports even added that the Los Blancos had offered the creative attacker to Paris Saint-Germain but if the Mirror is right, then any move for the former Porto man is now dead in the water.