Why James Rodriguez would be a brilliant signing for Manchester United
According to a report from the Express, Manchester United are interested in Bayern Munich playmaker James Rodriguez.
The Colombian is currently in his second season at Bayern Munich having joined on loan from Real Madrid back in the summer of 2017. After a slow start, he played a key role for the club as they won the Bundesliga for the sixth campaign in a row.
However, James Rodriguez has been overlooked for much of the time this season by Niko Kovac, who replaced Jupp Heynckes at the helm of the Bavarian giants over the summer. With the Colombian struggling for game time at Bayern under the new manager, should Manchester United make a move for him?
Without a doubt, yes. Manchester United have made a slow start to the new Premier League campaign and currently find themselves outside the top four. Jose Mourinho’s side has been awful defensively this term, shipping 18 goals in just 11 games. And it remains a position Mourinho should look to address in January, the Portuguese manager’s side has not been at their best going forward as well.
Alexis Sanchez was signed in January from Arsenal to bolster the attack but 10 months into his tenure at Old Trafford, the Chilean has failed to impress. The 29-year-old has been a shadow of his former self, lacking the gusto and the drive with which he won plenty of games for Arsenal single-handedly. Truly, he has failed to live up to the billing at United.
On the other hand, Romelu Lukaku has hit a rough patch as well. The big Belgian is on a goal drought at the moment and missed United’s 2-1 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday. And with the likes of Sanchez and Lukaku struggling with form, the Red Devils have sorely lacked a cutting edge to their attack.
That’s where signing James Rodriguez would make sense for Mourinho’s United. James is one of the best playmakers across Europe right now, particularly for his keen eye for telling passes and accurate delivery from set-pieces. The Colombian ace brings creativity in the final third and also has an eye for spectacular strikes.
Blessed with a sound technique which allows him to keep good close control in tight areas, the former FC Porto man uses his dribbling skills and guile to beat the defenders. James is also adept at cutting inside from the flanks and has the vision to find the runs of his teammates in the final third. He has excellent vision and is capable of creating magic every time he is on the ball.
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For a player of James’ calibre, United should definitely look to sign him. He could be the ideal replacement for Juan Mata, who despite being an integral member of Mourinho’s first-team, will be out of contract at the end of the current season.