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Arsenal: James Rodriguez depends on Unai Emery and Mesut Ozil
Arsenal are still being linked with a move for James Rodriguez. Any transfer will depend on Unai Emery and his relationship with Mesut Ozil.
Even though 27-year-old James Rodriguez has received a Spanish Passport, Zinedine Zidane still does not see him as a part of his plans at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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The Colombian midfielder is now a Spanish citizen and he could possibly free up a spot reserved for Non-EU players at Real Madrid when he returns to the Bernabeu next season.
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Rodriguez has been long followed by a number of clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester United, and Serie A giants, Juventus. With Bayern Munich unlikely to activate the clause which allows them to sign him on a permanent basis for £39.5 million, Rodriguez is expected to return to Spain without much of a welcome. Another sale is anticipated.
James applied for the passport in a bid to increase his chances to play for Los Blancos as an EU player, which would help the club to accommodate non-EU players, like Vinicius Jr., Casemiro and any of the many Galactico signings that are expected to be made this summer, as dictated by La Liga and UEFA rules. However, with Rodriguez not being in the plans of the Real Madrid boss irrespective of his squad designation, an exit is on the cards.
It is believed that Unai Emery targeted James Rodriguez back in January in a bid to replace the then unwanted Mesut Ozil. But the midfield maestro has featured in Arsenal’s last nine games and he and Emery seemed to have buried the matter, for the time being.
Nevertheless, with major moves more likely to be made in the summer and with the loan deal then finished, a James transfer is not completely out of the question. James has enjoyed a rather average season with Bayern Munich, scoring seven goals and assisting six in 25 matches. With the Colombian Superstar’s ambitions having taken a massive hit, one could possibly see him give up on Real Madrid and make a potential move to the PL with a number of clubs watching his back.
The key hurdle for this move to go through is Emery’s desire to sign a reportedly troubling, disrupting presence. Rodriguez has had attitude problems throughout his career. Would it be wise for Arsenal, as they look to build a new era at the Emirates under a new head coach, to bring in a potentially infecting character?
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In the end, the decision could come down to whether Emery is happy to see past Rodriguez’s reported issues in favour of improving on Ozil or whether he truly has come round to re-building the team around the enigmatic German once more. Time will tell, but if certain things fall in place, the Rodriguez links are not dead just yet.