James Rodriguez Rumoured to Have Been Offered for Manchester United Transfer

Manchester United have reportedly been handed the opportunity to sign James Rodriguez from Real Madrid this summer.

According to Rob Dawson of ESPN FC, the Colombian is set to depart Los Blancos at the end of the season and has become an option for the Old Trafford club.

The circumstances are said to be comparable to those that saw Angel Di Maria join United from Real in 2014 for what was a British record transfer fee.

As noted by Dawson, Rodriguez shares the same agent as Di Maria and United boss Jose Mourinho in Jorge Mendes.

"And Old Trafford officials have been asked to be kept informed as executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and [Mourinho] weigh up moves ahead of the summer transfer window," noted Dawson of Rodriguez's situation. 

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The piece stated that the United manager wants to make quality additions in attacking midfield, up front, in holding midfield and at centre-back this summer. Rodriguez fits the first of those four positions and would be a tremendous capture.

Indeed, despite only starting 12 La Liga games this season, the Colombia international has been a major threat in the final third for Madrid:

Real manager Zinedine Zidane has a wealth of attacking quality to chose from in his squad, and as a result, Rodriguez rarely features from the start in the biggest games.

While it's difficult to argue with the Frenchman's decisions with Real Madrid top of La Liga and on the cusp of yet another UEFA Champions League final, it's a shame to see a player of such quality sat on the sidelines for large parts of the season.

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There may be doubts about his physical strength and defensive application, but the Colombian has shown his quality consistently when called upon this season. Zidane has insisted he's happy with him, too:

Nevertheless, this summer feels like the right time for both parties to go their separate ways, and for the 25-year-old, the chance to join a club of United's calibre is an exciting opportunity.

While the Red Devils are not in a position to challenge for the Premier League or the Champions League quite yet, they are moving in the right direction again under Mourinho's tutelage.

With a player like Rodriguez at the crux of their creative play, they'd be a much more threatening attacking force too. The prospect of him linking up with the likes of Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford next season will quicken pulses among the United fanbase.