Manchester United are reportedly leading the pursuit of James Rodriguez after having agreed on a deal in principle with the Real Madrid winger. The Colombia international made just 13 La Liga starts for the European champions last term with Zinedine Zidane preferring the likes of Gareth Bale and Isco ahead of him in the pecking order.
According to Diario Madrista, the 25-year-old has received transfer interest from both Manchester City and Manchester United, but he is said to favour a switch to the latter after having previously discussed contractual terms. However, the deal is not straightforward with Rodriguez’s marketing partner Adidas wanting the playmaker to be handed the number 10 shirt at Old Trafford.
Club-captain Wayne Rooney has worn the jersey with pride since the departure of Ruud van Nistelrooy a decade ago, but his future has been put into doubt due to his limited playing time under Jose Mourinho. Rooney has not received any suitable offers to leave Old Trafford as yet, but Jose Mourinho could be forced to offload the club’s all-time goalscorer in order to compensate for Rodriguez’s arrival.
As per Diario Madrista, a full agreement could be finalised in the next fortnight with the Colombian due to sit with Los Blancos to resolve his future. Rodriguez bagged 11 goals and 12 assists for Real Madrid last season as they celebrated their first La Liga and Champions League double since the 1957/58 campaign.
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