Real Madrid and their tendency to rope in the most talked-about player at any given point of time at the slightest drop of a hat has often cost them. However, the loss that Los Blancos have had to endure for James Rodriguez is insurmountable. The Madrid side once valued the player at £100 million, but now would be fortunate to recoup at least some portion of that colossal sum of money.
With that endeavour, the board has offered the Colombian to Manchester United, who once were in the market for him. As the Sun reports, not only does the valuation of the player bothers the Manchester giants, but also the wage of the 28-year-old, which is said to be around £250,000 per week.
Do Manchester United need him?
The Paul Pogba situation has exposed a lot of deficiencies in the United squad as the creative juice in the team dried up with the absence of the French star. Although, a central-midfielder by trade, the World Cup winner has a creative spark at the centre of the pitch, which made the board shell out the kind of fees they had done in 2016. However, the former Juventus man has not been able to settle at Old Trafford with injuries playing a big role. That had left Rashford alone at the forward position, bestowed with both scoring and creative responsibilities.
Things became so grave for the side that eventually the board had to go for another marquee signing this January in the form of Bruno Fernandes, and since then the midfield has looked better for the side. Although that has given rise to another problem as now, it seems that Pogba would leave the club, unable to partner with the Portuguese at the centre of the pitch. This is where the club would need replacements, and they could do with a player like Rodriguez in the side.
Would he be the right fit?
On his best day, the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner would wreak havoc to any defence and be a perpetual threat for the opposition. However, for that to happen, one needs to play regular football, which has not been the case with Rodriguez. This season he has taken the field only 12 times across all competitions and in 2020 he has not been fielded once in the La Liga. This lack of game time has been more apparent to observe as an outsider when you see youngsters like Vinícius Júnior get chances in the starting lineup.
Throughout these 12 appearances, the Real Madrid outcast has only scored once and assisted one goal, highlighting his decline in form. Although he has made two key passes per game in the league, that has not been enough to guarantee him a regular starting berth in the side. Add to that the constant injuries that he has suffered throughout his career, and Manchester United may just have an exorbitant and ineffective signing at their hands.
As the report states, Real Madrid would expect something in the region of £50 million for the midfielder, and with his wage bill, it would be an expensive bullet that Man United should dodge.
Stats from Whoscored.
