It’s rare to see a player go to an elite team and last a long time, so there’s starting to become a common trajectory to many careers.
Players will be determined to make it to the top and will look to make moves that keep them in the shop window, but often they find out life at the biggest clubs isn’t as good as they expected.
They are then left desperately trying to get out, so any team where they are valued and might fit in will become an attractive destination, but surely it should always be like that?
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It’s happened with James Rodriguez at Real Madrid, he’s out of favour and he turns 29 in the Summer, so his best years are starting to drift away from him.
A report from Mundo Deportivo has looked at what happens next for the Colombian, and Tino Asprilla has been telling him to move to Man United.
He said: “James needs to go where they put him to play, where the coach asks, wants, not where the President’s whim is. With his football he can play anywhere.”
“United is a good place for James, they haven’t won titles in a while and they plan to build a good team for next season. They have good players, there is the Spanish Juan Mata, and it is for that style of James, in fact he is more dynamic, he has more punch, he could calmly succeed in that team, “
It could certainly be an interesting move for James, but it would only make sense if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had a clear plan for him in the team.
He would need to get him on the ball and give him a chance to show his quality – just sticking him out wide where he could get isolated and lost wouldn’t benefit anyone.
It’s clear he does need to leave this Summer, but where will he end up?