James Rodriguez don’t make hasty decisions. He can take wrong paths, like everyone else, but what he does not do is follow impulses. Every word, every statement, every gesture, especially in the middle of an open transfer market, has a justification.
And for the summer window, the one of the big movements, there are only five weeks left, so you have to keep your eyes wide open from now on.
The signs, for now, point to the fact that the season in Qatar has come to an end and he will not stay there until the end of the year, not even to watch the World Cup. The rumor that circulated during the week had to do with an alleged conversation with the board of Al-Rayyan, in which he let it be known that he does not want to fulfill the initial three-year contract and that he hopes to leave as soon as possible, looking for a good option that suits everyone, in sporting and economic terms.
First move: Renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano quoted Colombian Pipe Sierra in a trill about the lefty’s outspoken intention to return to Europe. Putting yourself on that radar is already a declaration of intent.
James Rodriguez wants to leave Al Rayyan in the next months. The plan is to come back to European football as soon as possible. ???????????? #transfers
His agent will open discussions with clubs in the coming weeks, as per @PSierraR. pic.twitter.com/sxYSZCooqO
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 29, 2022
Second act: define the ideal league. James did not do badly in the Premier League, beyond the physical problems that prevented him from having more continuity at Everton. In a broadcast on Twitch he did not rule out a possible return to Goodison Park, but he and his agent, Jorge Mendes, know that a team at risk of relegation cannot pay a high salary like the Colombian. So, we would have to change the objective.
Y the move would go to an old interested party: West Ham United. Before the unfortunate departure to Al-Rayyan from Qatar was confirmed, he was the first to raise his hand to inquire about his services. The creative is good for a football that he already knows and that gave him a high competitive level at the time. Now that he knows that he must lower his economic claims, he could enter that folder, even more so now that Manuel Lanzini’s departure is imminent.
But he is a 30-year-old player, expensive on the payroll and prone to injuries, for which there would be doubts in top league teams, which would force him to also look at other leagues, such as Turkey, where Galatasaray would have shown interest. The trouble is that it doesn’t seem like a long-term destination and that’s what a mature player like him should look for at this point in his career.
A desperate exit could be Saudi Arabia, although it has the risk of relegating it again in sports, although it ensures economic stability. The signs have not gone there. Now that James has moved his checkers, he has no choice but to wait for the other players on the board to move theirs as well. Today everything is speculation. The idea is that, when it comes to certainties, the competition and the adrenaline of the titles weigh again and not just the bank account.