Chelsea Opinion: James Rodriguez would be a massive bargain for the Blues at £36 million
According to The Sun, Chelsea and Man United are interested in signing wantaway Real Madrid star James Rodriguez in the summer, with Bayern Munich unlikely to make the Colombian’s stay permanent at the end of the season.
The Sun understands that Bayern have the option of securing the services of the 27-year-old permanently for a fee of £36 million but the Bavarian giants are unlikely to trigger that clause, owing to the player’s strained relationship with manager Niko Kovac.
The same report claims that Kovac’s relationship with Rodriguez is broken beyond repair, while a return to Real Madrid has also been ruled out for the Colombian star, with new manager Zinedine Zidane not willing to welcome the 27-year-old back to the Bernabeu.
Premier League giants Man United and Chelsea are alert to the possibility that Rodriguez will be available this summer and both the teams have set their sights on the left-footed creative ace, as they look to build a squad capable of challenging for silverware.
Rodriguez made his move to Real Madrid from Monaco back in 2014 and was an instant hit in the La Liga, contributing with 13 goals and 13 assists in his inaugural season at the Bernabeu. Despite coming up with good enough returns in his second season with the Los Blancos, he requested to move out on loan at the end of the 2016-17 campaign in order to enjoy more playing time.
The Colombian joined Bayern Munich on a two-season loan deal at the start of the previous campaign and racked up 7 goals and 11 assists in his first season in the Bundesliga. However, injuries coupled with a strained relationship with the manager have resulted in his slip down the pecking order at the Allianz Arena this season and the highly-rated attacking midfielder looks set for another move at the end of the ongoing campaign.
To put things into perspective, a player of his calibre would be an ideal signing for both the Premier League sides, who are in dire need of bolstering their ranks with a top-quality creative midfielder. However, Chelsea should look to beat off competition for the 27-year-old and go all out in their pursuit of the Colombian star in the summer.
The Blues have every reason to be pleased with their progress in their first season under Maurizio Sarri but they would need to add more creativity to their ranks if they are to make a significant impact in the Champions League next season.
Jorginho and N’Golo Kante have enjoyed a consistent run in the first-team this season, while the likes of Ross Barkley, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have been left to fight it out for the spot on the left of Sarri’s midfield three.
Kovacic has had a decent campaign on loan from Real Madrid but he hasn’t been able to offer much in terms of creativity and goals, failing to find the net even once this season.
Loftus-Cheek has taken his game to a different level with some top-drawer performances this season and he is likely to enjoy more involvement next term, However, someone like Rodriguez would be a massive upgrade on Chelsea’s existing midfield options.
In fact, he would arguably be Chelsea’s best bet to replace Eden Hazard, as the Blues brace themselves for another raid on their Belgian asset this summer.
Regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, the 27-year-old is essentially a No.10 by trade, but he is more than capable of playing out wide on the right and in a more withdrawn role in central midfield.
Noted for his wonderful technical abilities, remarkable vision, pace, dribbling skills and high footballing IQ, Rodriguez would be the ideal man to add that cutting and incisive edge to Chelsea’s attack.
Primarily a left-footed player, he is also capable of dribbling and shooting with both feet and his ability to operate as a supporting striker inside the box should make him an indispensable asset to the Blues.
He is not just an efficient assist-provider but he is a good goalscorer as well, with his clinical finishing with head and both feet making him stand head and shoulders above most of the players in the same mould.
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Rodriguez, at £36 million, would be a massive bargain for the Blues and their free-flowing possession-based style should get the best out of the Colombian ace. That said, they should go all out in their pursuit of the 27-year-old in the summer.
