James Rodriguez wants talks with Bayern Munich to sort his future
The Colombian superstar reportedly wants to hold talks with Bayern Munich before the club make his transfer permanent next summer.
Bayern Munich could be in for a busy transfer window next summer. The Bavarians are set to overhaul their aging attack next summer, but they first need to secure the future of one of the club’s most important players.
James Rodriguez is approaching the end of his two-year loan spell from Real Madrid. The club hierarchy likes the player and wants to make his deal permanent. This transfer looked pretty straightforward initially, but Bayern may have to make extra efforts to convince James to stay in Munich.
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According to the latest report from Sport Bild, James’ agent Jorge Mendes wants to hold talks with Bayern Munich during the winter break. The attacking midfielder is reportedly unhappy with his situation at the club and feels under-utilized by Niko Kovac. A handful of English clubs and Italian giants Juventus have shown concrete interest in the player, whose agent might push for a winter move — though this is inconceivable from Bayern’s perspective.
James was the marquee attacking signing for Bayern in 2017. The Colombian struggled to get gametime at Real Madrid, so he decided to work again with Carlo Ancelotti in Munich. Ancelotti was eventually sacked, however, and James was struggling to get gametime. This move was on the verge of becoming a disaster until Jupp Heynckes gave James a run in the starting lineup in the absence of an injured Thomas Muller.
The former Monaco midfielder grabbed this opportunity with both hands and started delivering consistent performances for Die Roten. James became a key player for Heynckes as Bayern won the Bundesliga and reached the semifinals of the Champions League. He ended the campaign with eight goals and 14 assists across all the competitions.
There was much speculation about James’ future this past summer. Zinedine Zidane left Real Madrid, and some suggested this could lead to the Colombian’s return to the Spanish capital. Real Madrid didn’t show any concrete interest in bringing him back, though, and Bayern certainly gave no indication that they would let him return anyway. James has always insisted that he is happy at Bayern and wants to win many trophies with the German club, even amidst speculation about his future.
Bayern Munich scout Everton forward Henry Onyekuru. dark. Next
There are huge expectations from James this season after a very good debut campaign. He is completely fit now after struggling with injuries at the start of the season. Niko Kovac has always insisted that James remains a very important player for him and James has proven his worth on the pitch. If James’ agent does want to negotiate with Bayern over the winter break, it is likely just to speed up negotiations for a permanent contract.