James Rodriguez Reportedly Has Manchester United Transfer Agreement with Agent

Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez is "hellbent" on a move to Manchester United this summer and already has an agreement in place with his agent, Jorge Mendes, per Diario Gol (h/t Jack Otway for the Express).

The Colombia international shares an agent with United boss Jose Mourinho, which reportedly could be useful in negotiations with Los Blancos, per Otway.

James' future is supposedly in doubt, with many reports indicating a move to the Premier League is likely for the 25-year-old. Liverpool are interested in his services provided they qualify for the Champions League this season, per Chris Hatherall for the Mirror, while Chelsea are also keen, per Dan Gibbs of the Daily Express.

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

But the Colombian's first choice is United, according to Diario Gol, who write that James is "desperate" for a move to Old Trafford.

James has only started 10 La Liga matches this season for Real, which, having started 17 times in the competition in 2015-16, means he is likely to end the campaign further away from the starting 11 than he was 12 months ago.

It would appear that James must leave the Bernabeu if he is to find consistent first-team football. Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema are all above him in the pecking order despite the 25-year-old's excellent goals and assists record. He scores more goals per 90 minutes (0.6) than Benzema or Bale and records more assists per 90 (0.6) than any other player in the squad, per WhoScored.com.

More of his brilliant statistics have been highlighted by Squawka on Twitter:

United, then, will inherit a world-class talent if they can complete the deal. James has reportedly reached a verbal agreement with super-agent Mendes to fashion the move, per Otway, which would most likely give the Red Devils a big advantage in the race for his signature.

Mendes was responsible for brokering the deal that saw Mourinho move from Porto to Chelsea in 2004 and has been the Portuguese's agent ever since. His close ties with the United boss will reportedly make the lines of communication simpler.

Dave Thompson/Associated Press

United have struggled creatively this season, and so fans will no doubt welcome these latest developments. Mourinho's team have scored 50 league goals in 2016/17—just one more than Bournemouth and four more than struggling Crystal Palace.

The likes of James lining up at Old Trafford would surely help Mourinho's rebuilding project, although, with so many clubs reportedly interested in his signature, finalising a deal won't be easy. The direct link to Mourinho, via Mendes, could prove crucial.