According to reports out of England and Spain, Real Madrid have quoted Manchester United a price £60m for 24-year-old Colombian star James Rodriguez – or Hamez to those of a Spanish persuasion.
At first glance this is a deal that United should not need to think twice about accepting. Rodriguez was the star of the 2014 World Cup, and at 24, he is still several years away from his prime.
After a terrific first season at the Bernabéu, Rodriguez has fallen down the pecking order at Real Madrid and Colombian journalist, Ivan Meji has been quoted in The Manchester Evening News, as criticizing the player heavily saying:
“He’s in a footballing decline, he’s not playing well.
“The Madrid board are worried because he’s not that same James that arrived after the World Cup. He’s racing his car, he’s going out at night, He’s making appearances in Qatar…
“He’s lost all sense of perspective and isn’t training well.
Ouch!
Those comments sound very similar to those from former Dutch star Ruud Gullit who has blamed Memphis Depay’s struggles in his first season at Manchester United on the 21-year-old’s extravagant lifestyle.
“Memphis should concentrate fully on football.”
“It would be a shame if someone like Memphis is going to be wasted because of all this side stuff.
“He has to make sure they talk about the footballer Memphis. He has to accept criticism like a man and get on with his job as a footballer.”
“I am a fan of him and still have faith in him, but he has to start doing something with that label. He possesses many qualities, is still young and has time to show his class in the Premier League.
“Before that, he should remain low-key outside football. You must not turn up in a brand new Rolls Royce and a new Hummer at the training ground.”
United can probably handle having one over-inflated ego in the squad, but that dressing room is not strong enough to handle two of them at once.
If the comments by Ivan Meji are true, then United should avoid signing James Rodriguez at all costs.
