The Italian giants are reportedly also in the mix for the Colombian playmaker
Juventus are the latest club to join the race for James Rodriguez’s signature, according to reports in Italy.
Corriere dello Sport have reported that the Turin giants are interested in saving the World Cup star from his Bernabeu hell, joining the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United in the scramble for his services.
€80million Rodriguez has been unable to establish himself as a first-teamer under successive Real Madrid managers and there have been whispers about his off-the-field conduct.
While this smearing is par for the course for out-of-favour players in Madrid, having also happened to Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil among others, it also points to an inevitable exit.
Florentino Perez was still set on making the blockbuster signing work out in the autumn when he insisted that Rafa Benitez play Rodriguez in el clásico at the Bernabeu. Four unanswered Barcelona goals later, the point had been made.
The Real Madrid president is known to be conscious of the transfer being seen as a big-money flop, but Zinedine Zidane’s willingness to move on from the playmaker and the likelihood of recouping most of his fee mean we can expect to see Rodriguez depart this summer.