Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata Rumours

Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez is reportedly in “advanced” talks with Paris Saint-Germain over a possible summer transfer.

Yahoo Sports France (h/t AS) stated, after completing the captures of Hatem Ben Arfa and Grzegorz Krychowiak, the French champions will now pursue the Colombia international. "According to information obtained by someone close to the president of the club, the negotiations are at an advanced stage with Jorge Mendes and James,” it's suggested.

It’s also noted Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in the player, but PSG are in “constant contact” with Rodriguez about a potential future move. Here is a look at what the Ligue 1 outfit would be getting if this one was to come off:

For the Parisians it’d be a coup. Rodriguez, after all, is a superb talent and a footballer who can alter the course of any game with his ability. Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe is excited by the prospect of this deal going through:

The Colombia captain would surely be excited by the possibility of making a move too. Not only has he already played and excelled in the division, the future doesn’t look particularly enticing for Rodriguez at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Under the tutelage of Zinedine Zidane, the 24-year-old has slowly fallen down the pecking order in the Spanish capital. The Frenchman sought to inject some more organisation into the Los Blancos side, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale the only players with freedom in the setup; it’s something Rodriguez requires to be at his best.

When he gets it, he can shine, as we’ve seen on the international stage, per Bleacher Report UK:

After the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG need a new talisman to build their side around. While he may not be as charismatic as the Swedish striker, Rodriguez has the talent to be the team’s attacking fulcrum and quickly give the Parisian crowd a new hero. Real, at this point, may be happy to move him on.

Alvaro Morata Future Still Unclear

David Ramos/Getty Images

According to AS’ Javier Silles, the future of Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata is still “up in the air,” with the player’s agent set to hold talks with the club.

It’s suggested that Madrid have offered the forward a pay rise, meaning he’ll take home around €4 million a year. Nevertheless, it’s stated by Silles the 23-year-old “is not prepared to assume a secondary role after the progress he has made at Juventus” and that “if Madrid cannot guarantee that he will get regular playing time, Morata would rather leave.”

Madrid activated Morata’s buyback clause earlier in the summer, ending a two-year stay with the Bianconeri. Here is a look at the strides he has made as a player during that time:

It’s understandable the forward wants assurances on the kind of role he’ll play. While the Spain star is not the finished article yet, he’s evidently good enough to be leading the line for an elite side. With Karim Benzema, Ronaldo and Bale in situ at the Bernabeu, that’s unlikely to happen.

As these numbers from WhoScored.com show, Morata can struggle to get into the game at times:

He’s only going to continue to make improvements by playing regular games, though. The forward’s development was accelerated at Juventus due to the fact he was at the point of the attack in a fine outfit. Should he remain at Real and deputise to Benzema, it’s progress that could quickly become undone.

As reported by Vaishali Bhardwaj of the London Evening Standard, both Chelsea and Arsenal have been linked with the player; Silles also noted Real may consider moving him on to pursue other targets. For Morata, it’s a precarious position and one that needs to be firmed up soon for his own sake.