According to a recent report by the Mirror, Colombia international James Rodriguez is prepared to snub Arsenal in the summer in favour of a return to Real Madrid so that he can fight for a first-team place under Santiago Solari. The same source has also claimed that Bayern Munich are unlikely to activate the £36.8m clause in Rodriguez’s contract to sign him permanently when his loan deal expires at the end of this campaign.
The 27-year-old winger has often been underwhelming with his performances on the pitch during this campaign. However, he has still managed to make some match-winning contributions for Niko Kovač’s team this term which has kept Bayern’s title hopes alive. The Bavarian giants are currently trailing their rivals, Borussia Dortmund by five points at the top of the Bundesliga table.
However, the Colombian has been plagued with injuries which have hampered his growth as a player. Unfortunately, there is a real chance that he might not end up fulfiling his true potential if injuries keep derailing his development. Thus, a move to Arsenal could have been an ideal change of scenery for him which may have helped him get his career back on track.
There is no doubt that it will be a brave move from him to return to the Spanish capital next summer and prove his value to his parent club.
Rodriguez is a world-class winger who has been quite successful in the past and has also proven that he can be a match-winner when he is playing with confidence on the pitch. Even though Kovac has often deployed him from the bench this season, the Colombian has still managed to make a positive impact in the attacking end of the pitch. The former FC Porto prospect has found the back of the net three times while providing four assists in 16 appearances for Bayern this term across all competitions.
Arsenal would have benefited from adding someone of Rodriguez’s talents in the summer. They are currently struggling to secure a place in the Premier League’s Top 4 which goes on to show that they are still quite far off behind the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City when it comes to squad depth.
With Mesut Ozil failing to fire on all cylinders this season coupled with the fact that Aaron Ramsey won’t be an Arsenal player next summer, Emery is in dire need of a capable winger who could score and assist goals consistently at the Emirates Stadium. Hence, it will be a big blow for the Gunners to miss out on Rodriguez’s services as he would have been a marquee acquisition for Unai Emery’s team.
