Man Utd have reportedly stepped up their discussions with Real Madrid over the possibility of signing playmaker James Rodriguez this summer.
It’s been a frustrating summer for the most part for Jose Mourinho so far, as Victor Lindelof remains his only signing with Romelu Lukaku now finally expected to follow shortly.
He’s likely to be far from done though at that stage as he has various areas to consider ahead of next season, and according to The Independent, Rodriguez has emerged as one of the top possibilities.
It’s added that an inability to reach an agreement over Alvaro Morata, another United target, hasn’t affected the relationship between the two clubs, and so with a striker coming in now, the focus has switched to another Madrid star.
As per the report, with Wayne Rooney on his way out of the club after being seen at Everton’s training ground on Saturday, it opens up a space in the team for a playmaker, while Rodriguez would undoubtedly tick other boxes including being a crucial signing off the pitch to give Man Utd a major commercial boost.
Having struggled to establish himself at the Bernabeu, the Colombian international would surely welcome the opportunity to play regularly and enjoy a prominent role at a top club. Having shown when he did feature for Los Blancos the quality that he possesses, it’s the right time for him to move on.
Similarly to the Morata situation though, the problem comes down to an agreement over a transfer fee. The Independent suggest that Madrid want €70m for Rodriguez, and Man Utd are unsurprisingly hoping to pay much less than that.
Discussions are said to be ongoing, and so time will tell whether or not an agreement is reached. What is clear though is that it seems to be a good move for all concerned if it can happen.