James Rodriguez Could Turn out to Be the Perfect Signing for Chelsea

James Rodriguez was once the ultimate distillation of Real Madrid's Galactico transfer policy. The playmaker had been linked with several clubs around Europe before the 2014 World Cup, but Los Blancos' name hadn't been mentioned.

However, after a number of glittering performances for Colombia in Brazil—becoming the player of the tournament—Real had to have him. They couldn't let a Galactico like him slip through their grasp.

The Liga giants didn't really need James at that time. In fact, they had to clear space for him in their squad. Angel Di Maria—one of their best players and the standout performer in the 2013/14 Champions League final—was sold to Manchester United, with Xabi Alonso offloaded to Bayern Munich and Nuri Sahin transferred back to Borussia Dortmund. 

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The move left Real's midfield somewhat unbalanced, although that's not to say James was necessarily a bad signing. The Colombian enjoyed a successful first season in Spain, scoring 18 goals over the course of the 2014/15 campaign.

He was a commercial success too, with £20 million worth of shirts bearing his name sold in the 48 hours following his signing, per Simon Rice of The Independent. A Galactico, indeed.

James is now unwanted at the Santiago Bernabeu, though. The Colombian has fallen out of favour under Zinedine Zidane, having to make do with the odd cameo off the bench or an appearance in the Copa del Rey against lower-league opposition. It seems likely the playmaker will leave Real sooner rather than later.

And so Chelsea have reportedly moved to the front of the pack chasing James' signature, although it has been recently mooted that the Stamford Bridge club will plot a summer move for the Colombian rather than attempting to break him out of the Bernabeu in the January transfer window, per Matt Heath-Smith of The Sun. 

Nonetheless, it would seem to be the case that Chelsea view James as a major transfer target, whether they move for him next month or at the end of the season. Some view the Colombian as a token big-name signing, a way for the Blues to prove they can still pluck from the top shelf of the transfer market—an unnecessary addition, many would claim.

But James could prove to be a better signing for Chelsea than is immediately obvious. A transfer committee identifies targets and makes deals at Stamford Bridge, but the Colombian could become a prime asset for head coach Antonio Conte as he seeks to return the Blues to the top of the English game.

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Considering how Oscar has been allowed to leave Stamford Bridge for China, it would be reasonable to assume that a playmaker in the mould of someone like James wouldn't be high on Conte's list of transfer-market priorities. He needs defenders before he needs a No. 10 to play in a position that doesn't exist in the Italian's current system.

Despite this, however, James might actually be the ideal signing for Conte and Chelsea. He might have lost the edge that once made him one of the most exhilarating players in world football, but he remains an inherently creative player. Whenever he plays, he tends to create. 

In fact, James has been involved in more Real Madrid goals (44) than any other player since he made the move to the Spanish capital from AS Monaco nearly two-and-a-half years ago, per Squawka.

Even this season, when he has been forced to watch from the sidelines for much of the time, the 25-year-old has found a way to contribute, making two assists in just four starting appearances. 

Chelsea could use some of that productivity. The Blues, for all that they have come a long way this season, are reliant on Diego Costa to provide them with goals and a cutting edge in the final third.

The Brazilian-born Spain international has netted 13 goals so far this season, which accounts for 37 percent of Chelsea's overall tally. Without the former Atletico Madrid striker, it's unlikely Chelsea would be sitting atop the Premier League pile.

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James would at least ease some of that attacking burden off the shoulders of Costa. Conte's 3-4-3 formation would need to be tweaked to accommodate the Colombian. It's possible Chelsea may have to sacrifice width to find a place for the Colombian in their team, but such a tactical shift might be worth it to add goals and assists to their side.

Of course, Chelsea fans may question why they should pay such a hefty fee—£60 million is the reported asking price, per Alec Shilton of The Sun—when James has struggled to even make the field for Real Madrid this season. Why would they want a player who has been deemed not good enough for a club at the level the Blues aspire to?

When asked about James' situation at Real Madrid in November, Zidane said, per Dermot Corrigan of ESPN:

"

Each player has a different situation. I try and show everyone in the squad that they are important. At the moment James is playing less. But the idea is the same -- that he can help us. 

I know he wants to play more, they all do, but I try to help the team in each game, and that is not going to change. I want James here with me, for him to play for us, and nothing more.

"

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The fear would be that James would find himself in the same situation at Chelsea as he does at Real. He would be signing for a team that doesn't have a natural place for him, much like the case at the Bernabeu.

But Conte has shown at Chelsea that he has a natural capacity and skill for moulding players to his specific needs. Victor Moses, now a tactically integral component at right-back, is illustrative of that.

Conte could be the catalyst James needs at this stage of his career, and James could be the kind of player Chelsea need at this stage of their development. The two might be the perfect match.