According to the Guardian, Arsenal are interested in the services of James Rodriguez. It is believed that Real Madrid are ready to cash in on their playmaker in the upcoming January transfer window, which has alerted interim coach Freddie Ljungberg. The Swede wants to strengthen Arsenal’s creative unit, and Rodriguez has been identified as a potential candidate.
Rodriguez’s struggles at Real Madrid
After a two-year loan spell at Bayern Munich, Rodriguez returned to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer. However, his much-awaited return got overshadowed by the arrival of players like Eden Hazard and Rodrygo. And quite unsurprisingly, the playmaker has once again failed to win the trust of Zinedine Zidane.
James has been involved in seven league matches, only four of which were first-team starts. The emergence of Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior has played a key role in minimising the overall game-time of the Colombian international. Moreover, he also suffered an injury that has kept him out of action since the start of this month.
And given the 28-year-old’s lack of importance in the Real Madrid setup, it won’t be surprising to see him leaving the Bernabeu in the upcoming January transfer window. His potential departure could allow the Spanish giants to fund moves for their other transfer targets as Zidane looks to strengthen his squad further.
Is Rodriguez a good option for Arsenal?
Rodriguez could be an excellent signing for Arsenal for multiple reasons. The fact that the Colombian has mostly struggled with injuries and lack of game-time suggests that he still has the quality to make a difference at any top club across Europe.
At Arsenal, the ex-Bayern Munich star can be considered as an alternative or even a replacement for Mesut Ozil. The German struggled a lot under Unai Emery and though it remains to be seen how he copes with the new boss, Rodriguez, will, no doubt, provide Ljungberg with an additional option in attack.
The Real Madrid attacker can feature anywhere across the final third, though he is most useful in the number ten role. Hence, it is fair to point out that Rodriguez’s addition would only work if Arsenal decide to offload Mesut Ozil in January, which, again, could be the right thing to do.
The potential departure of the ex-Real Madrid ace would create a gap in the creative department for James to fill in – making him a sensible target for the Gunners. But, it is doubtful whether or not, the player, himself, would want to move to Arsenal, knowing it could get significantly difficult for him to secure regular Champions League football.
