Manchester United are expected to make a bid for Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez, according to Spanish outlet El Confidencial.
The 25-year-old has been unsettled at the Bernabeu for some time now, with a lack of playing time and a frosty relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane contributing to the Colombian international’s unhappiness in the Spanish capital.
Rodriguez’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is on good terms with United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and in a meeting on Monday, Woodward reportedly told Mendes that the Reds would be making a €65 million offer for the attacking midfielder.
However, it is unlikely that Real would even contemplate selling Rodriguez to United, given the poor relations that the two clubs have had in recent times, with David de Gea’s infamous transfer saga coming to mind.
Furthermore, Los Blancos may be hit with a transfer ban after the summer, having initially been banned in January by FIFA for breaching the rules surrounding the international transfer and registration of players aged under 18.
That ban was lifted as the club appeal the decision, but with the possibility of that appeal failing and Real being banned from making transfers for the next two transfer windows, Zidane is willing to hand Rodriguez a second chance and give him a more prominent role in the side going forward.
