JAMES RODRIGUEZ ADMITS he does not know where he will be playing club football next season but insists he is fully focused on Colombia’s Copa America campaign.
The playmaker spent the last two seasons on loan at Bayern Munich but returned to Santiago Bernabeu at the end of last term following the Bundesliga champions’ decision not to exercise an option to sign him for €42 million.
James’ career has stalled somewhat in recent years and he only featured in 20 league games for Bayern in 2018-19, scoring seven goals and making three assists.
Despite signing for Real in 2014 in a deal worth €90 million after he won the Golden Boot at the Brazil World Cup, James is now looking for a route out of the Spanish capital in order to get more regular game time.
The 27-year-old concedes he is powerless over his future at the moment though.
“Right now I’m only thinking about the Copa America,” Rodriguez said after Colombia’s 1-0 win over Paraguay on Sunday.
“I still don’t know where I’ll go but I want to be calm. The decision depends on the club [Real Madrid].
There are people with a lot of power there, I can’t do much. I haven’t spoken with Zidane.”
James has been heavily linked with a move to Napoli that would see him reunited with Carlo Ancelotti, who he worked with at both Real and Bayern, this summer.
Azzurri midfielder Fabian Ruiz added fuel to that speculation by insisting earlier this month that James would be welcomed by the squad in Naples.
Real are reportedly keen to get the former Monaco star off their books in order to free up funds to make further transfers this summer, having already brought in Eden Hazard from Chelsea.
But James will first see out Colombia’s Copa America campaign before linking up with any club side.
Carlos Queiroz’s side cruised through the group stage with maximum points, beating Argentina in their in a dominant opening-game 2-0 win.
The Albiceleste managed a 2-0 victory over Qatar in their final Group B fixture on Sunday to also book their place in the quarter-final.
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Forget Zidane, he’s going to need Jesus to resurrect his career
He was the golden child after WC2014 and is still only 27. He should only be approaching the peak of his powers, and maybe he still will, but he’s basically scratching around for a club now and two of Europe’s elite don’t want him. At €42m he should be a bargain in today’s crazy market but somehow he’s not.
james…sit down
@Paul Lynch: next to me