Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Jese Rodriguez and James Rodriguez Rumours
Jese Rodriguez has been told he can leave Real Madrid this summer, with a loan move to the Premier League or the Bundesligaย on the cards for the player.
Thatโs according to Carlos Forjanes of AS, who stated manager Zinedine Zidane has advised the player his first-team opportunities will be scarce next season and that he should find a new club. Germany and England are tipped as possible destinations for the forward, although itโs noted Espanyol, Realย Betis and Las Palmas are all interested.
With so much attacking quality at Zidaneโs disposal, itโs little surprise he has recommended Jeseย move elsewhere. Here is a look at what he is capable of producing at his best:
The 23-year-old was tipped for big things when he burst onto the scene in 2013. However, Jese missed the majority of the 2014-15 season with an injury, and his playing time was limited last term, with Lucas Vazquez often used ahead of him.
With Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema in situ, not to mention Realโs decision to bring Alvaro Morata back to the club this summer, a fresh start does look inevitable for Jese. And while it may be galling for him to leave the Spanish capital, a temporary move would hand him a chance to kickstart his stuttering career.
As noted by Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC, heโs been limited to a bit-part role at the Santiago Bernabeu:
Forjanes noted in his piece that Real are pondering a possible transfer that includes a buyback option for the player. Itโs the kind of move that worked well for Morata, who returned to the Bernabeu a much-improved footballer after a couple of seasons at Juventus.
Jese still has it in him to make a major impression for Madrid. Prior to his poor fortune with injury, he was pushing for a starting spot with Los Blancos, having shone in a variety of different roles. In the future, he may well reach those levels again, but itโs vital he shows his worth elsewhere and gets minutes under his belt if such a scenario is to come to fruition.
James Rodriguez Set for Real Stay
According to Juan Ignacio Garcia-Ochoa of Marca (translated by Chris Winterburn), Real Madridโs lack of transfer activity is good news for James Rodriguez, who is set to stay at the club this summer.
In the piece, itโs noted Los Blancosโ primary summer business may have already been done with Morata returning to the club.ย
โThis is perhaps a relief to the fringe contingent of the squad with James Rodriguez and Isco both having had uncertain futures earlier in the summer,โ the report stated. โThose two now look set to be retained with the Frenchman desperate to avoid ruining the balance of the squad.โย
Itโs noted this is why Real may not be too concerned about rivalling Manchester United in their pursuit of Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.
According to Rodriguez, Los Blancos rejected an โฌ85 million bid for him earlier this summer, per Marcaโs Hugo Cerezo (translated by Richard Buxton). However, having failed to secure a regular starting spot in the Madrid XI under Zidane, itโll be fascinating to see what kind of role the 25-year-old will play should he remain a Real player.
As we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com, the Colombia international has been a creative force whenever heโs taken to the field for Real:
What seems to have been an issue for Zidane is his robustness out of possession. In a 4-3-3 system, which the manager favoured in big games last term, there doesnโt seem to be a natural place for Rodriguez, as he doesnโt have the defensive discipline to play as a central midfielder or in a wider berth.
Against less illustrious opponents, his ability to unpick a bunkered defence can be extremely useful, and given how often Madrid face this kind of challenge, thereโd be playing time for Rodriguez in the 2016-17 season. The 25-year-old must show more tenacity and defensive application if heโs to feature in Realโs biggest tussles, though.
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