Spanish giants Real Madrid have reportedly agreed the sensational sale of one of their highest-profile stars to their rivals for a fee in the region of €50m.
According to Spanish outlet Esto Es Atleti, Real Madrid have agreed a sensational deal with cross-town rivals Atletico for the sale of superstar James Rodriguez. It’s understood that the Colombian playmaker will join Diego Simeone’s side for an initial fee of around €50m, the fee could rise with various add-ons.
It’s understood that Simeone is eager for the clubs to announce the deal imminently, as he’d like Rodriguez to join preseason with his new teammates as soon as possible.
Rodriguez will be the second star to swap Los Blancos for Los Rojiblancos this summer, talented young midfielder Marcos Llorente made a move to the Wanda Metropolitano last month.
The 2014 World Cup sensation was one of the star’s that was expected to leave the Bernabeu this summer, Zinedine Zidane has never been keen on the star and the decision to sell the ace will also free up funds for him to continue his sensational rebuild of the Spanish giants.
According to Spanish publication AS, Serie A side Napoli fell out of the race to sign the star as Madrid became frustrated with president Aurelio De Laurentiis’ public comments regarding the difficulty that the Italian giants were having in agreeing a transfer.
Rodriguez is exactly the kind of signing that Atletico need after losing some of their crucial first-team stars; as well as superstar Antoine Griezmann, key figures: Diego Godin, Filipe Luis, Lucas Hernandez and Rodri – have all left the club this summer.
Rodriguez is exactly the type of superstar that is needed to lead the team by example next season.
Therefore, it’s not surprising to see that Esto Es Atleti have reported that the Colombian will become one of the club’s highest-paid players alongside Saul Niguez and Jan Oblak. It’s understood that the ace will be earning a whopping €7.5m a year after tax.
Rodriguez has endured a difficult few seasons, but at 27 years of age, the star has plenty of time to get his career back on track and Atletico could be the perfect team for him to establish himself as one of the world’s best once more.