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Bayern Munich: Conflicting reports about James Rodriguez emerge

By Kiran Thakare

BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 19: James Rodriguez of Bayern Muenchen in action during the DFB Cup final between Bayern Muenchen and Eintracht Frankfurt at Olympiastadion on May 19, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 19: James Rodriguez of Bayern Muenchen in action during the DFB Cup final between Bayern Muenchen and Eintracht Frankfurt at Olympiastadion on May 19, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images) /
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Spanish outlet Marca claim James Rodriguez wants to leave Bayern Munich, while German media says the club has no interest in letting the player go.

Bayern Munich might have to gear up for a transfer saga this summer involving James Rodriguez. The club hierarchy has always maintained the stance that they are totally satisfied with his performances in his debut season, but they have not yet officially confirmed about their decision to sign the player on a permanent basis.

According to a report in Marca, James is now interested in moving back to Real Madrid. The Spanish newspaper believes that the Colombian wants to return to Los Blancos now that Zinedine Zidane has left the club.

This report further adds that Real Madrid will have to negotiate with Bayern for James’ release. The German champions will likely activate their clause to purchase James on a permanent basis after his two-year loan spell ends next summer.

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The response to this report from Marca in Germany has been quite predictable. Sport1 and Sport Bild both believe that Bayern Munich are not at all interested in James’ departure this summer. The Colombian is an integral part of Niko Kovac’s plans for next season. Bayern have the upper hand when it comes to the player’s contract and are not going to let him slip away.

Rodriguez joined Bayern Munich last summer on an initial two-year loan, and the Bavarians have an option to buy the midfielder for a reported fee of €42 million in 2019. The Colombian was struggling to get gametime at Real Madrid under Zidane. Carlo Ancelotti had previously worked well with Rodriguez at Real Madrid and he urged Bayern to complete this transfer.

The former Monaco midfielder initially struggled to acclimate to life at Munich. This move almost turned into disaster when Ancelotti was sacked in September last year. However, James worked hard and impressed Jupp Heynckes with his performances. By the end of the season the Colombian had become Bayern’s pivotal player. He ended the campaign with eight goals and 13 assists in all competitions.

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Rodriguez has openly admitted on numerous occasions that he is enjoying life in Munich. The Colombian has shown eagerness and enthusiasm to get accustomed to the new language and culture of the city. He didn’t feature much at the World Cup, but he was the star of the one game he played fully, further strengthening Bayern’s eagerness to keep him in Munich. James is entering the prime years of his career, and Bayern should do everything to keep him at the club.

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