Luka Modric has sounded a warning to the likes of Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez, reportedly on the move this season, owing to severely curtailed game-time at the Bernabeu. “It’s certainly not an easy decision to leave Madrid,” he told Spanish newspaper Marca.
“When you leave here, nothing is the same. You’re at the best club in the world, that’s for sure, and from there you can only go down.”
Easy for Modric to say, who has been one of Zidane’s mainstays in Real’s superlative campaign last season. James Rodriguez, on the other hand, has seen far fewer minutes with the likes of Casemiro and Isco preferred over him.
The 25-year-old Colombian had joined Real on the back of a superb World Cup campaign in the summer of 2014 which saw him win the Golden Boot, instantly catapulting him into stratospheric heights in the footballing universe. He joined Real in a €80 million deal from AS Monaco that year.
Since then it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Last season saw him feature in Real colours only 22 times in the La Liga out of which, only 13 he started, returning impressive figures of eight goals and six assists. The player has been subject to transfer speculation from the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and lately, Liverpool.
Real Madrid are looking to offload the Colombian at a hefty price to fund their move for AS Monaco wonder-kid Kylian Mbappe. Valued at upwards of £80m, it is not hard to see why clubs are baulking at the price quoted. Real in no hurry to sell, are wrangling to drive up Rodriguez’s price as much as possible.
Liverpool are the latest players in the tussle to secure the Colombian’s services. It remains to be seen, whether the Merseyside outfit can muster enough ambition to steal the player from under the noses of financially superior clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United.
The attacking midfielder is equally adept at the flanks as he is in playing down the middle. A player of his quality can walk straight into almost any football club in the world, and his troubles in getting minutes at the Bernabeu speaks volumes of the quality of the Real Madrid squad.
The impending arrival of Dani Ceballos could be the last nail in the coffin for the 25-year-old. The player’s agent, Jorge Mendes has reportedly contacted a whole host of clubs interested in signing the player. Jose Mourinho seems to be heading the chase to secure Rodriguez’s signature. The fact that James Rodriguez and the Portuguese manager share the same agent in Mendes, could pave the way for the player to clinch a move to Old Trafford.
James has an array of talents that make for very attractive viewing on the pitch. When on song, the Colombian is known for his incisive passes and long balls right at the goal mouth for a poacher to take advantage of. Although his defensive contribution could do with an improvement, the player could excel in a no. 10 role if not bogged down with heavy defensive duties. Which is probably why the Colombian might be better suited for a manager like Jurgen Klopp than Jose Mourinho, who, as is common knowledge, remains big on tracking back.
Liverpool was prepared to make a £52m bid for the player last season which is nowhere close to the £80m bracket and the Merseyside club could be priced out of the market for the player if Perez refuses to budge from his valuation. So should Liverpool pursue this deal?
