Real Madrid Transfer News: Jese, James Rodriguez Commented on by Zinedine Zidane

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane was coy when quizzed on the future of Jese Rodriguez, although he insisted James Rodriguez is content with life at the club.

Both players failed to secure regular football under the Frenchman late last season, playing peripheral roles in the team’s UEFA Champions League triumph. Jese, in particular, looks set to struggle for minutes in the 2016-17 campaign, and according to Marca (h/t Sky Sports), he is nearing an exit.

Zidane hinted a departure could be close for the player, too. “Jese’s future? I don’t know,” he said, per AS (h/t Football Espana). “Today we had a game and he has just played. We’re working. I can’t say anything more.”

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With Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema all battling for places in the 2015-16 season, Jese was always going to find it tough to force his way into the manager’s plans. And a difficult challenge has been made even harder by Madrid’s decision to bring Alvaro Morata back to the club this summer.

There are few who doubt the quality of the forward. As these numbers from WhoScored.com illustrate, when he was on the field, he was a major threat in the attacking third:

The 23-year-old must be well aware that he needs to move on, though, whether on a permanent or temporary basis. It’ll be disappointing, as he’s approaching a decade with the Santiago Bernabeu club, but another campaign on the fringes with Los Blancos will be detrimental to his development.

Perhaps, as Morata has done, he can return to Real a better player in the future; after all, before suffering with a long-term injury in 2014, he was pushing for a spot in the starting XI with some brilliant performances.

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James is another player whose place in the first team looks far from certain, having struggled for form in his second season as a Madrid player and been linked with a move away from the club, per Hugo Cerezo of Marca.

However, Zidane seems content with the Colombian’s position, per Football Espana: “James Rodriguez looks good and we’re happy he’s here.”

While he failed to hit the heights of 2014-15 last year, James has consistently shown a penchant for the spectacular during his time as a Madrid player, per Squawka Football:

It’s this inventiveness that’ll make him a useful member of the Real squad in the upcoming season. Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo are all devastating weapons when given space to surge into, but they each rely on that space being conjured by a cute pass or a team-mate who draws defenders.

James excelled in that role in his first season at Madrid and was arguably the team’s standout player. But as Zidane sought to add some steel to Real on their way to European glory, the former AS Monaco man seemed to lack the discipline required to play a part in that kind of setup.

Nevertheless, it seems as though Rodriguez is hungry to make an impact at the Santiago Bernabeu in his third year, per Marca:

As one of the finest playmakers of his generation, Zidane should be an ideal mentor for Los Blancos’ No. 10. The Frenchman is a savvy coach, and as a man who carries plenty of clout, he has the authority to instil some defensive discipline into this team without worrying that Real will divert from their cavalier attacking identity.

If James can add some pragmatism to his game, he’ll not only become a much more significant part of Zidane’s plans, but a better footballer as a result. Showing that requisite application in pre-season would enhance his chances of regular starts.