Premier League Is the Best Fit for James Rodriguez, but Which Club?

The career of James Rodriguez feels almost like a case study in the life of a gifted South American player—in the way it should work out and in the ways in which it can go wrong.

He started out with second-division Colombian club Envigado, whom he helped to promotion, and off the back of that, he got a move to Banfield in Argentina. There, he attracted the attention of FC Porto’s ever-alert South American scouts and moved to Portugal.

After three impressive years, he switched to AS Monaco, a wealthier club who could offer a higher salary. That his agent, Jorge Mendes, is well-connected at both Porto and Monaco oiled the wheels.

A superb FIFA World Cup in 2014, in which he won the Golden Boot with six goals—including a brilliant dipping volley against Uruguay—propelled Rodriguez into the realm of superstardom. And when he told Marca of his dream of joining Real Madrid, his next move was obvious. Sure enough, the transfer took place for €80 million that July.

Having climbed the mountain, though, Rodriguez has found the past two-and-a-half seasons a little frustrating. Madrid still have a tendency to act like an overenthusiastic guest at a buffet, piling up their plate with little thought of how each dish—sumptuous though they may be individually—will work together.

Francisco seco/Associated Press

In a squad packed with stars, he has struggled to make an impression.

With Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale an obvious front three, there’s no real place for Rodriguez. He’s a playmaker or a second striker, perhaps a forward who can drift in from wide: He’s versatile, but he’s not a midfielder comfortable playing in a three—or at least not against opposition who will make him defend.

Recently, with Bale injured, Madrid have opted for a 4-2-3-1. That would seem to open a position for the Colombia international, but Isco has been preferred as the central creator with Lucas Vazquez or Marco Asensio on the right. This season, he's played only 377 minutes of league football, according to WhoScored.com.

Through no real fault of his own, Rodriguez has found himself sidelined. This is a side-effect of the stockpiling that afflicts the global game in the era of the superclubs. His frustration was evident in his comments after Madrid’s 4-2 victory over Kashima Antlers in Sunday’s Club World Cup final.

"Things are not going as I would want," he said, per ESPN FC. "I want to stay, but you must think about everything. But if I am not playing, I must think about it all and look for a way out."

Understandably, that triggered interest among Europe’s major clubs, but there was the counter-claim that he would not leave.

Marca reported club officials were unhappy with his comments and suggested Rodriguez’s agent had been surprised by them. His mother had indicated to Noticias Uno (h/t MailOnline) a week earlier that he would stick it out and keep fighting for a place in the team. On Tuesday, however, came an El Tiempo report (h/t The Sun) that he had been seen at the British Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, applying for a visa.

The Premier League, of course, has seemed his most likely destination. Few clubs from the rest of Europe can afford him, and Madrid are unlikely to be keen to sell to Spain. Juventus and Bayern Munich probably have the resources, but neither have an obvious place in the team for him. So if his destination is the English top flight, where would be the best fit?

The big question about Rodriguez is how defensively committed he would be. The requirement to press is a given in English football these days, which is not how Madrid play.

His historical stats, per WhoScored.com, show he has at times reached 1.4 tackles per game with 0.8 interceptions, which is perfectly reasonable. It’s at least a starting point, although carrying that over into the higher-tempo football of the Premier League isn’t a given.

Tottenham Hotspur are perhaps the club with the greatest need for an injection of imagination. With Dele Alli slightly below his best, Moussa Sissoko disappointing and Erik Lamela injured, there has been enormous pressure on Christian Eriksen to offer a spark, which is one of the reasons they have struggled for goals at times this season.

But Spurs are also perhaps the least likely to sign him, with finances seemingly restricted during the construction of the new stadium.

Dave Thompson/Associated Press

Manchester City could afford him, and Rodriguez would fit naturally into the free-eight roles that manager Pep Guardiola is so keen on, but with Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Yaya Toure in the squad, another player of that nature is not a priority.

Manchester United seem to enjoy collecting stellar names and have worked extensively with Mendes in the past, but having just sorted out a way for their midfield to operate in a way that has Paul Pogba at last playing reasonably well, it would seem a needless complication. That said, the injury to Henrikh Mkhitaryan does open an immediate window.

Rodriguez is very much an Arsenal sort of player, in the sense that they already have a squad stuffed with attacking midfielders and have a recent history of picking up castoffs from the big clubs in Spain.

Perhaps a vacancy opens up if Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez fails to agree a new contract, but if Arsenal can’t afford them, would they be able to afford Rodriguez?

The Colombian seems perhaps to lack the dynamism required at Liverpool, but then manager Jurgen Klopp has had remarkable success in instilling that into players.

Even before the injury to Philippe Coutinho, Klopp spoke of signing a forward to cover for Sadio Mane’s absence at the Africa Cup of Nations. Whether Liverpool have—or would wish to spend—the sort of fee necessary to sign him is another question.

That leaves Chelsea. Their 3-4-2-1 system has an obvious role for Rodriguez, vying for a place behind the striker with Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian. With Oscar on his way to China for £60 million, per the Guardian, a fee of around £75 million would be within range without jeopardising UEFA's financial fair play regulations.

In that post-Kashima interview, Rodriguez spoke of having "options." Chelsea, perhaps, are the foremost among them.