Real Madrid Transfer News: Zinedine Zidane Dashes James Rodriguez Exit Rumours

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane quietened speculation James Rodriguez could leave the club this summer after reiterating just how important the Colombian is as a member of his team.

James came off the bench for a cameo appearances in Real's 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, after which Zidane addressed the player's lack of playing prominence, per ESPN FC:

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I don't see any problems with James—he is an important player. James is important for us. He played well and scored a goal against Eibar and Getafe. He obviously wants to play more, but that's the same for every player who doesn't play all the time.

Of course, we have 24 players and I can only pick 11. Sometimes it looks like I always have to make three changes in a game, but I will only do so if I think it is necessary. I am the coach and I have to make decisions.

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It was suggested James endured a rocky relationship with Zidane's predecessor, Rafa Benitez, as a result of a lack of playing time, but the South American hasn't been a regular under the current boss—per Squawka, he has started just two of Real's last eight league games.

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague recently intensified speculation of a summer exit for Rodriguez after he was quizzed on the forward's chances of moving to Manchester United in a Sky Sports Q&A: "All I can say is that Real Madrid are more than happy to sell him...if they get the right amount of money."

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Italian outlet TransferMarketWeb reported as recently as March that Premier League giants United were the "favourites" to sign Rodriguez this summer (h/t Metro's Mark Brus).

The player has been been doing his utmost to convince his manager he deserves a spot in Real's XI, however, with the club's official Twitter account eager to celebrate his training exploits:

It seems Zidane is more than happy to keep James among his ranks, even if the 24-year-old won't break up Real's BBC front line of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo anytime soon.

The question is whether James will be content in settling for such a position—especially when he has the capacity to dazzle if afforded chances as a starter, as shown by the official Primera Division Twitter account:

James moved to the Spanish capital from AS Monaco in the summer of 2014 for a fee of €75 million (£58.5 million), and it's understandable why Real could be eager to make money back on their purchase if he's not thriving as expected.

What's more, whistleblowing website Football Leaks recently unveiled details of James' transfer, revealing the player could end up costing Los Merengues as much as €90 million (£70 million) based on additional clauses (h/t Marca).

James has started in 19 of his 28 appearances this season and played the full 90 minutes on seven occasions, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists in the process.

It's easy to see why Zidane would be keen on retaining a player as talented as James, but satisfying the star's playing desires is another factor in keeping him at the club.