James Rodriguez Transfer Reportedly Wanted by Manchester United and Liverpool

Manchester United and Liverpool are both keen to sign Real Madrid's out-of-favour playmaker James Rodriguez. 

That's according to Sky Sports' Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague, who has suggested Los Blancos would be willing to sell for around €35 million (£30 million).

"All the options remain on the table—Manchester United and Liverpool want him—but I just think United have the edge if it comes down to those two clubs," said Balague. "Jorge Mendes is his agent. But Italy is an option, too. The only guaranteed thing at this stage is Real Madrid want him to go, and he is considering his options."

Despite his natural talent, Rodriguez has found it tough to win over Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane, who has favoured a more pragmatic approach since taking over as Madrid boss.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Subsequently, the 25-year-old has only made eight starts in La Liga during the 2016-17 season, with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Isco and even Lucas Vazquez ahead of him in the pecking order.

Rodriguez started Madrid's 4-2 win over Leganes on Wednesday and was on the scoresheet. However, he reacted angrily to Zidane when he was brought off during the match.

As noted by sports journalist Jack Rathborn, the playmaker did little to hide his displeasure:

"These are things that happen and that's it," said the manager afterwards, per Jose Luis Calderon of Marca. "He played well, and I am pleased with that. I don't have anything against James, quite the opposite."

Still, it's clear all is not right with Rodriguez at the Santiago Bernabeu, and a player of his skill shouldn't be sat on the bench most weeks. After all, during the early stages of his Madrid career, the Colombian was a crucial creative cog in the XI.

JAVIER SORIANO/Getty Images

There aren't many attacking midfielders capable of measuring up to Rodriguez when he's on song. His passing is accurate, his dribbling tight and when he does find space on the edge of the box, the Madrid No. 10 can hammer home shots.

Per OptaJose, despite being on the periphery of the Madrid squad, Rodriguez has still made some crucial contributions to the team under Zidane:

At United or Liverpool, he would potentially make a big difference, as the Colombian has the flair to light up the Premier League.

If Rodriguez does favour the Red Devils, it'd be fascinating to see how a manager like Jose Mourinho would cater for the midfielder. Rodriguez isn't combative or aggressive off the ball, although he's versatile enough to play behind a striker or off either flank; the prospect of him linking up with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba is a tantalising one.

At Liverpool, Rodriguez may encounter similar problems to the ones he is facing at Real Madrid, as manager Jurgen Klopp demands hard work and relentless pressing from every member of his team. That's not a setup that feels well matched to the characteristics of the Los Blancos star.

For more news, rumours and related stories about James Rodriguez, Real Madrid and La Liga, check out the Real Madrid and La Liga streams on Bleacher Report's app.