Exclusive: Real Madrid Agree Deal ‘In Principal’ to Sign €80m Colombian James Rodriguez as Their Latest ‘Galatico’

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Bernabeu side set to welcome in latest Galatico.

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Real Madrid have reached an agreement with AS Monaco over the sale of James Rodriguez with the Bernabeu side ready to pay €80m (£63m) to sign the young Colombian international.

CaughtOffside understands that Real Madrid club president Florentino Perez opted to switch his attention from Uruguayan Luis Suarez to Rodriguez following the unsavoury incident the Liverpool man was involved in during the World Cup finals.

The Spanish giants were actively pursuing Suarez prior to his biting of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini but even before the striker was handed a four month ban Perez discussed the situation with boss Carlo Ancelotti and the pair decided a move for the disgraced marksman was a calculated risk they were not prepared to take.

This in turn led to an increased interest in Rodriguez, who has of course enjoyed a stellar World Cup campaign, with the La Liga side ready to make a massive offer for the AS Monaco star.

The former FC Porto man enjoyed a hugely successful first season at the Stade Louis II side, finishing the season as the leading assist maker in Ligue 1, but is said to have informed AS Monaco that he wishes to leave to join Real Madrid this summer.

Ancelotti has been told to look to cover the outlay of a bid for Rodriguez through player sales and as such it’s looking increasingly likely that Angel di Maria will leave as may Sami Khedira and Fabio Coentrao.

Rodriguez is currently the top scorer at the World Cup and has more than proven himself during his spells in Portugal and France and is a player Real Madrid feel is very marketable, his clean-cut image one that can be used to great affect by the club which more than justifies the big fee offered for his services.

AS Monaco are open to cashing in on Rodriguez to help the club meet UEFA’s FFP (Financial Fair Play) guidelines and doing so will mean they can happily keep hold of his compatriot Radamel Falcao, the club’s record signing.

The price for Rodriguez has been agreed by the two clubs though there is a chance another interested party may register a similar bid though the player’s desire to move to the Spanish capital side should see a move completed in the coming days.


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