Why Arsenal should break the bank for James Rodriguez
As per the Daily Mirror, Bayern Munich will not sign playmaker James Rodriguez on a permanent basis.
The Colombia international is 16 months into a two-year spell with Bayern from Real Madrid. Things were going very well for James Rodriguez but after the arrival of Niko Kovac at Bayern as manager, the situation has changed dramatically, with a return to the Bernabeu appearing more likely at this point.
James Rodriguez has failed to get regular time under Niko Kovac and recently picked up a knee injury that could see him miss the remainder of the year. But according to the Calciomercato, Arsenal manager Unai Emery is plotting a massive €90m offer for the South American star.
Unai Emery has made a brilliant start to his managerial career at the Emirates and is now looking to take Arsenal back to the top after a few years of mediocrity under former manager Arsene Wenger.
The Spanish tactician has done very well in the first few months in England but in order to compete with the likes of high-spending Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, he needs to spend more to rebuild his squad.
And Emery appears to be interested in James Rodriguez, who is considered as one of the best playmakers in Europe. The Colombian has won a lot of honours in his career so far, including the coveted Champions League with Real Madrid.
Though primarily an attacking midfielder, James can also play on both wings, and his versatility can give Emery the choice of switching his options around. Blessed with a fantastic technique and an incredible passing range, the 27-year-old is an effective dribbler and takes up really promising positions in the opposition half to create opportunities for his teammates.
James may not have the blistering pace to burn but he makes up for it with his vision, creativity and ability to score screamers. He is a player who knows how to change the gear of the game with calm and patience.
The South American is vastly experienced at the highest level and would undoubtedly bolster Emery’s attacking options at Arsenal.
Hence, getting a deal done for a player like James would be an astute move for the Gunners as it would increase their squad depth and pose some serious threat up front. In Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil, Arsenal already have a deadly attack.
Read more: Why Emery’s Arsenal over Pochettino’s Tottenham is a better destination for this £25m Serie A starlet
Add James to that squad and Arsenal’s attack would instantly become more potent, so much so that he might just make Emery’s team realistic title challengers in the coming years.