Man Utd linked with move to sign £250k-a-week South American star

Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign long-term target James Rodriguez in a cut-price deal from Real Madrid this summer, according to The Sun.

Rodriguez announced himself as one of the most exciting players in world football after producing some stunning performances for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup which earned him a dream £71m move to Madrid.

However, the move didn’t go according to plan as the 28-year-old attacker struggled to make a positive impact at the Bernabeu before spending two years on loan at Bayern Munich between 2017-2019.

The stint in Germany was a relative success as Rodriguez scored 15 goals and 20 assists in 67 matches to help Bayern win two consecutive league and cup doubles but he was sent back to Madrid last summer after the German giants decided against making the move permanent.

The South American has struggled for game-time at Madrid this season with his last La Liga start coming way back in October and his only four appearances under Zinedine Zidane in 2020 have been in the cup competitions.

Rodriguez is clearly out-of-favour at the Bernabeu so a move looks increasingly likely this summer and The Sun says Real Madrid have now sounded out Manchester United over a possible deal as they look to get his £250,000-a-week wages off the books.

The report says United have a long-term interest in Rodriguez so boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be tempted to bring him to Old Trafford – especially if they fail to agree a fee with Borussia Dortmund for Jadon Sancho.

Rodriguez was once valued at around £100m but his stock has fallen dramatically in recent years and The Sun says Madrid know they may struggle to get even half that figure this summer as the player has just over 12 months left on his contract.

The Colombian international can play anywhere across the attacking midfield positions so he’d give Solskjaer a very useful option in the final third IF United could get him back playing to the best of his ability.

However, around £50m would still be a risky investment for United as Rodriguez will turn 29 next month and it appears his best playing days are behind him, so I’d be surprised if Solskjaer was to pursue any potential deal at that price.

I expect Man Utd to focus their attention on the likes of Sancho and may only turn to Rodriguez as a back-up option later in the window if they fail to secure deals for their first choice transfer targets.