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Would James Rodriguez Fit in at Manchester United?
With Wayne Rooney now off to Everton we look at whether Real Madrid attacker James Rodriguez would be a suitable replacement.
Cast your minds back to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Colombia had advanced past the group stages just once in their history as a footballing nation but that was all about to change. James Rodriguez, just 23 years old at the time, inspired his country to reach the quarter-finals of the competition – an incredible achievement to say the least.
Following the tournament, Rodriguez was snapped up by Spanish giants Real Madrid but his career at the Santiago Bernabeu since hasn’t been a breeze by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, James has found himself in and out of the starting line-up, especially since Galacticos legend Zinedine Zidane took over at the helm.
According to reports, both Real and Rodriguez would consider offers from Premier League clubs this summer and Manchester United might just be the perfect fit. The Red Devils have confirmed that Wayne Rooney has officially re-joined Everton and the number 10 role is now vacant. You won’t find many players capable of replacing United’s charismatic leader but Rodriguez would certainly go down well with supporters.
Money is no object for a club of United’s size and fans will be begging Jose Mourinho to press the Red Devils board into meeting Madrid’s asking price. Rumours appear to suggest that the 20-time English champions may need to fork out in excess of £80 million to sign the Colombia international this summer – a hefty sum considering Mourinho has already spent £75 million on Romelu Lukaku.
James Rodriguez’s record across all competitions for Real Madrid:
110 games ?
38 assists ?️
36 goals ⚽️More than a benchwarmer. ? pic.twitter.com/TwT97XleCK
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) July 9, 2017
With Rooney gone, United need support in attacking midfield and Rodriguez could take over the mantle as the main link-up man. Almost every Premier League club has one; Manchester City have David Silva, Chelsea have Eden Hazard and Arsenal have Mesut Ozil. Who knows, United could have James Rodriguez come transfer deadline day…
James could make all the difference as United attempt to win the top-flight title for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement back in 2013. At the time of writing, Mourinho’s men are priced at 10/3 to win the crown in football betting markets and Rodriguez’s arrival would also bolster Lukaku’s chances of scoring a hatful of goals next season – that can only be viewed as a positive for the Red Devils.
Since the start of the 2015/16 campaign, James has made 18 of his 48 La Liga appearances from the substitutes’ bench but it shouldn’t hinder his standing as an attractive prospect in the transfer market. If anything, he should be relatively fresh and fans must remember: he is still just 25 years old; his best years are yet to come.
The simple answer is yes, Rodriguez would fit in at Manchester United. With Ander Herrera, Paul Pogba and potentially Nemanja Matic sitting in central midfield, the Colombian would be given a free roaming role to wreak havoc and create chances for Lukaku upfront. James won’t necessarily solve all of United’s issues but he would be a nice luxury purchase for the Red Devils and he’d certainly help to fill the void left by Rooney.
