Real Madrid have reportedly informed playmaker James Rodriguez that he must accept a back-up role at the club or leave before the transfer deadline.
The Colombian international has been given nine days to make his decision, and it could well force him out the door after he was left on the bench in the La Liga opener over the weekend.
Despite not having Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema or Luka Modric available for selection, Zinedine Zidane still didn’t start the former Monaco ace, and it undoubtedly appears as though the writing is on the wall.
As reported by AS, that in turn has led to the ultimatum from the club, but it does come after he insisted last month that he wanted to stay at the Bernabeu and fight for his place in the starting line-up.
However, it’s clear that the Zidane doesn’t see him as one of his primary options this season, and given the talent that Rodriguez possesses, it would certainly be a shame to see him sit on the sidelines for most of the campaign if nothing else.
The report goes on to add that Chelsea are ready to offer €70m to sign the 25-year-old, although they will face competition from the likes of Arsenal and PSG.
Conte has been limited to just two new signings since arriving at Stamford Bridge earlier this summer, with N’Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi joining the club from Leicester City and Marseille respectively.
While he recently bemoaned the lack of depth in central defence with John Terry and Gary Cahill his only two fit centre-halves at this point, he would undoubtedly like to strengthen elsewhere before the deadline too.
In turn, if he can bring in another defender and Rodriguez, then perhaps he’ll be much more confident in his side’s ability to compete for silverware this season after starting with two wins in two Premier League games.