Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on James Rodriguez, Paulo Dybala Rumours
Wilson Rodriguez, the father of Real Madrid star James Rodriguez, has said his son will remain at the Santiago Bernabeu in January despite speculation over an exit.
The Colombia international has found playing time tough to come by since Zinedine Zidane took over as manager in January 2016, throwing his long-term position in the Spanish capital into doubt. Despite some talk of a midseason switch, Rodriguez Sr. made it clear the 25-year-old is going nowhere.
"He has a commitment to Real Madrid, and he has a contract," he said, per Amitai Winehouse of MailOnline. "He is going to stay."
According to Winehouse, the European champions have offered the playmaker to a clutch of Premier League sides with a view to a January switch.
Rodriguez’s spot on the fringes of the squad was far from foreseen during his magnificent first season in Madrid. The former AS Monaco man knitted together Los Blancos' attacks in 2014/15 and chipped in with a significant amount of goals and assists, too.
As these numbers from OptaJose illustrate, during his Madrid career, Rodriguez has regularly influenced games positively in the final third:
However, Zidane demands different traits from his charges. The former France international is happy to accommodate a star like Cristiano Ronaldo, although the rest of the players need to be diligent in their defensive play and hardworking out of possession. They’re concepts Rodriguez has struggled with.
The dilemma for Zidane is where to draw the line in terms of the balance of the side. So far in his managerial career, it’s tough to argue with his assessment; Madrid won the UEFA Champions League last season and are top of La Liga at the start of 2017.
January may not be ideal for either Rodriguez or the club to make a big decision about the future, although from the player’s perspective, sitting on the bench during the peak years of his career has to be considered as time wasted.
Real Madrid Following Paulo Dybala
According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Steve Mitchell of Calciomercato.com) both Real Madrid and Barcelona are keeping a close eye on contract talks between Juventus and Paulo Dybala.
In the report it’s suggested that while the Argentina international is expected to sign a new deal, negotiations have stalled between the player and the club because of the forward's salary demands.
While it’s noted that Barcelona would use Dybala’s compatriot Lionel Messi to help sign the 23-year-old, Madrid president Florentino Perez will reportedly make a major play for the Bianconeri starlet in the summer.
Since making the switch to Juventus in 2015, the former Palermo man has cemented his status as one of the most exciting strikers on the planet.
Here’s a glimpse of what he can do:
Per Squawka Football, Dybala’s Juve team-mate and former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain thinks the forward can accomplish plenty in the game:
As an intricate, left-sided Argentinian, there will naturally be comparisons between Dybala and Messi—something that could eventually hinder any Los Blancos transfer pursuit. However, as one of the rising stars of world football, the Juventus man fits the Real Madrid blueprint perfectly when it comes to major signings.
But Turin is surely the best place for the forward to continue his development. The Serie A giants evidently have ambitions of challenging for the biggest honours in the game. Less than two seasons into his time at the club, Dybala will feel he has plenty more to offer.
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