Man Utd could reportedly miss out on the signing of Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez, as he will only join if they qualify for the Champions League.
With their ambitions of finishing in the top four in the Premier League over, Jose Mourinho has opted to focus all of his attention on winning the Europa League which is now another gateway to getting back to Europe’s top table.
United face Ajax in the final in Stockholm on May 24, and it appears as though the outcome of that game could be critical to their summer transfer window plans.
As noted by Don Balon, the Colombian international will pull the plug on a move to Old Trafford if the Red Devils fail to qualify for the Champions League, with suggestions last week that he already has a pre-agreement in place to join the English giants this summer.
It’s been a tough year for the 25-year-old as he hasn’t always been in favour with Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, and yet when he has featured he’s more often than not made a big impact.
Rodriguez has scored 11 goals and provided 13 assists in 32 appearances in all competitions this season, but it seems it won’t be enough to secure a long-term future at the Bernabeu.
Further, AS report that he effectively said his goodbyes on Sunday when he was substituted in the 4-1 win over Sevilla in Madrid’s last home game of the season as he applauded the entire ground before taking his seat on the bench.
While they seem convinced that it was very much a farewell, it remains to be seen whether or not a deal is done with Man Utd, and if they can meet his crucial stipulation before he makes the move over to England.
As noted by BBC Sport, Rodriguez joined Madrid in a deal potentially worth £71m in total in 2014, but having failed to fully establish himself in the Spanish capital, he’ll hope his next club allow him to show his full range of qualities on a consistent basis.