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Real Madrid Transfer News: James Rodriguez Discusses Future Amid Return Rumours
July 29, 2018
James Rodriguez has said he's willing to stay at Bayern Munich on a permanent basis after his two-year loan from Real Madrid comes to an end, amid persistent rumours Los Blancos want to have the Colombian back in the Spanish capital.
As reported by AS, Rodriguez said Bayern are his present and he thinks his future as well, before responding positively when he was asked about a permanent transfer:
"Yeah, why not? Bayern are a big club, a top club also.
"I'm good here, and why not stay here for years? If they want me to be here, I'll be thankful with them because it's a club that put its confidence in me, so I feel all their love. Why not stay here for years? I think it's a good option.
"It'd be a really good option for me to continue here. I'm good here, it's my present and I'm not going to think about anything else."
Per the report, Bayern have an option to make the move permanent after the loan is over, while Real are hopeful they can cut the loan short.
Rodriguez joined the Bavarians in the summer of last year after his Real career fizzled out, and he quickly rediscovered his best form in Germany, playing in a deeper role than before.
Here's a look at some of his top highlights:
This prompted the Spanish press to discuss a possible return, and those rumours started to grow louder after the departure of manager Zinedine Zidane, per Marca's Jose Felix Diaz. Many thought he simply didn't rate the Colombia international and his replacement, Julen Lopetegui, would.
Speculation further increased after Bayern appointed Niko Kovac as their manager, with claims emerging Rodriguez wanted a return to Spain and his new boss wasn't a fan of the player. Per ESPN FC's Mark Lovell, Bayern laughed off those rumours, and the report noted all of the speculation was coming from Spain, not Germany.
According to AS, Bayern's option to make the deal permanent will cost the club just €42 million, a low fee in today's market. It's hard to see the club not using it, unless Rodriguez indicates he doesn't want to continue at the Allianz Arena or there's some kind of falling out.
Real may want to end the loan this summer, but there's no indication they have a method of doing that. Rodriguez may well return to Spain one day, but as things stand, it won't be anytime soon.