A mere £65 million is all that it will take to sign Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez, at least that is the figure being reported in the Spanish and British media currently. Rodriguez is on the outside of Real Madrid looking in at Zinedine Zidane’s squad now, with the French coach favouring other play-making options in his side.
Rodriguez sits seventh on the all-time most expensive transfers list, just behind Neymar. His £63m move to Madrid came on the back of three highly successful seasons at Porto followed by a solid season at Monaco. However, it was his performances at the 2014 World Cup that pushed Madrid over the line to splash a considerable amount of money on him.
With the transfer window closing in a matter of weeks, here are five reasons to sign James Rodriguez from Real Madrid.
Goals! Goals! Goals!
Though technically considered a ‘play-maker’, Rodriguez is just as apt at finishing scoring chances as he is at creating them. Last season, 11 of Rodriguez’s 31 appearances came from the substitute’s bench, yet he still tallied eight goals for Los Blancos. There is no question that Rodriguez is capable of providing goals when played regularly.
Creativity
Rodriguez is a highly skilled attacking player who can split defences a single pass. Last season, he ranked first in the list of average key passes at Madrid with 2.3 per game, according to WhoScored.com. His eight La Liga assists put him just three behind top-man Cristiano Ronaldo. Whichever team ponies up the cash to buy him will get a fantastic No. 10, one that will score and create goals for his new team.
Premier League TV money
Paris Saint-Germain are one of the numerous teams that are highly interested in the Colombian. However, Rodriguez has stated he favours moving to the English Premier League. Chelsea are one of those likely to be encouraged by those comments, and will reportedly consider swapping Cesc Fabregas as part of a deal. Arsenal are also believed to have inquired. The asking price for Rodriguez is high, but with the television contract money at an all-time record, it is the right time to buy a big-name star if you are a Premier League team.
Point to Prove
Rodriguez was phased out of Zidane’s plans early on once the Frenchman took over the Bernabeu hot seat. Lacking a chance to show his worth in matches, Rodriguez should have a massive chip on his shoulder. Wherever he ends up, he will have a point to prove that he deserved another chance to be a star at Madrid.
Entering the Prime of His Career
At 25, Rodriguez is only just entering the prime of his career, which is scary considering the ability he has shown thus far. The Colombian has scored 20 goals in 55 career games for Madrid. Those numbers should improve greatly wherever he moves next, especially if he is provided with more minutes on the pitch. Whoever adds Rodriguez this summer, if he does leave, will be getting a fantastic player capable of boosting a team towards trophies.
