Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Rumours on James Rodriguez and More

Reported Manchester United transfer target James Rodriguez has confirmed he was approached by Inter Milan during the summer transfer window but said he wants to stay with Real Madrid.

The Colombia international fell out of favour with manager Zinedine Zidane during the 2015-16 campaign and hasn't been a regular starter this season, leading to plenty of transfer speculation. Out of all the clubs reportedly interested, no team was linked with Rodriguez more than United, via Calciomercato (h/t TalkSport).

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

Despite all of the rumours, the midfielder stayed with Los Blancos, and after the win over Espanyol, he told reporters that's exactly where wants to be.

Per Calciomercato, he said: "Playing here is a dream, I never wanted to leave. I would like to play more continuously, but there are so many champs here. I am in great terms with Zidane. It's true, Inter wanted me, but I decided to stay."

The 25-year-old has endured a tricky start to the season, but he's played a big role for Los Blancos in the last two matches, delivering a key assist as a substitute in the UEFA Champions League win over Sporting and scoring against Espanyol.

Last year, an early injury saw him drop out of the starting XI, and he spent the entire season catching up. He struggled tremendously, but per Squawka Football, the stats suggest he has mostly been a success since moving to the Spanish capital:

Rodriguez was the star man at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and he once again played a big role for Colombia in this summer's Copa America. His performances for the national team suggest he's still a top player when on form, but the incredible competition for playing time at Real makes it difficult to maintain form.

Marco Asensio is but the latest starlet to emerge, joining Rodriguez, Isco and Lucas Vazquez as the top options in attacking midfield and out wide. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are virtually guaranteed starters when healthy, making things that much harder.

As you can see in the video below, the Colombian has plenty to offer:

A move to Inter never seemed likely, but a top club like United would have made for an intriguing fit. The Red Devils have mostly used Wayne Rooney as an attacking midfielder, with mixed results, and a star creator and scorer like Rodriguez could lift the attack to new heights.

Meanwhile, TuttoMercatoWeb (h/t Daily Star's Lewis Winter) reported the Red Devils and Arsenal are tracking youngster Panos Armenakas, an Australian prospect who currently plies his trade for Udinese.

The 18-year-old has long been a favourite of scouts and spent time in Barcelona's development program. He moved to Italy in 2014 and has steadily improved at Udinese, a club renowned for their overseas scouting and talent development.

The Guardian featured him in their list of top talents last year, and they had this to say about the youngster:

"

Silky skills, a penchant for a mazy dribble and an eye for goal – a heady mix brought together by Armenakas and one that has pricked the attention of clubs such as Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, who were said to be interested in the playmaker before he signed with Udinese in 2014 at the end of a two-year stint with Watford's youth team.

"

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

Armenakas has plenty of raw talent, but it's far too early to say whether he'll cut it at the senior level for a top club or not. It's never a bad idea to invest in young talent, however, and United's academy has done wonderful work with some of the team's most impressive youngsters these last few years.