Real Madrid Transfer News: James Rodriguez Wants Stay Amid Latest Exit Rumours

Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez has revealed that he is keen to stay at the club despite speculation linking him with a move away.

The playmaker is part of the Colombia squad for the 2016 Copa America Centenario, inspiring his team to victory with brilliant performances in the first two games of the tournament.

Speaking to Caracol Radio (h/t EFE, via Sport), the 24-year-old insisted he still see his future in the Spanish capital.

"We’re in football and things change a lot, but as I have always said, I want to continue [at Madrid] and it’s a dream to be able to continue at such a great club," he said.

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A report from Luke Salvin-Hughes of Sport on Wednesday stated that there were a clutch of clubs interesting in signing the player, with Manchester City and Manchester United said to be leading the way from the likes of Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

Rodriguez has played like a man with the shackles off at the tournament in the United States, relishing the extra responsibility he takes on when representing Los Cafeteros.

Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl has enjoyed seeing the player rediscover his swagger:

It’s a confidence that seeped away during his second season at Real Madrid. Manager Zinedine Zidane has sought to add more steel to Los Blancos at the expense of attacking flair, meaning that players like Isco and Rodriguez have found minutes tough to come by.

In his first term at Real, Rodriguez had a designated position off the centre-forward and was allowed freedom to roam. The result was some spectacular bits of play, as he menacingly probed at La Liga defences throughout the season, with 13 goals and 13 assists to show for his efforts.

Things have changed pretty drastically, though. As the Daily Mirror’s Ed Malyon noted recently, there were times during the late stages of the last campaign when the Colombian looked like a player who needed to move elsewhere:

Zidane is clearly looking for players in his squad who can follow instructions, maintain positional discipline and work hard for the team, a change in emphasis that yielded the UEFA Champions League last term. Rodriguez needs to do more in all of those aforementioned aspects.

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If he can, there will be a place for him at the Santiago Bernabeu. Zidane has used a No. 10 at times when the team is playing weaker opposition, a position where Rodriguez can thrive. Now it seems as though you need some substance to supplement natural talent on the ball to make it in this version of the Real side.

As Bleacher Report’s Clark Whitney noted earlier in the campaign, it doesn’t look as if the French manager has much time for player reputations:

The decision could ultimately rest with the player. Evidently, there is a chance for him to forge a prosperous career in the iconic all-white jersey; Rodriguez is talented enough and hugely popular among Madridistas. But he needs to show a little more grit and application if he’s to endear himself fully to Zidane.

With some of the clubs linked, Rodriguez would be a key man and potentially afforded freedom in the attacking third of the field.

The prospect of a fresh start at another juggernaut in the European game could be invigorating, too. But if he were to move, the Colombian would always look back on a wonderful opportunity wasted in the Spanish capital at arguably the biggest club in the world.