MX23RW : Friday, April 19 17:04:20| >> :60:1537:1537:

Who will buy James Rodriguez?

Sports Mole looks at some of the clubs being linked with a move for Colombia international James Rodriguez following his World Cup performances.

Colombia's James Rodriguez has been one of the best players of the World Cup so far, netting a brace in the team's round of 16 match against Uruguay to fire them into the quarter-finals.

In total, he now has five goals and four assists in the Brazil tournament as he aptly fills the gap left by the injury to club and country teammate Radamel Falcao.

The 22-year-old had already been attracting some transfer interest ahead of the World Cup, but his performances at the competition have sent the transfer rumour mill into overdrive.

Sports Mole looks at some of the potential landing spots for the midfielder.

James Rodriguez of Colombia celebrates scoring his team's second goal and his second of the game with teammates Jackson Martinez and Teofilo Gutierrez during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil round of 16 match between Colombia and Uruguay at Maracana on June© Getty Images

Real Madrid

Rodriguez has admitted that he dreams of playing in Spain during his career, leading to speculation that he could be heading to Real Madrid this summer. Los Blancos already have Isco in their squad, who possesses a similar range of skills to the Colombian, and have been linked with a big-money move for Luis Suarez this summer, but they're not short of resources so could be in a position to make a bid for the playmaker. It would surely be an exciting and tempting move for Rodriguez, who has previously revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of his heroes.

Barcelona

If Rodriguez is keen to play in Spain and win silverware, then Barcelona provides the same opportunities as Real Madrid. Although the Camp Nou outfit have not been linked with Rodriguez as frequently as their El Classico rivals in recent weeks, he would fit nicely into their squad. With Cesc Fabregas having already departed the Catalan giants this summer, and Alexis Sanchez also attracting interest from other clubs, Rodriguez could fill a hole in midfield. At times last season, Barcelona were unable to get the best from Lionel Messi, but the 22-year-old has proved that he is as capable at setting up goals as scoring them, and could potentially form a deadly partnership with the Argentine striker.

Monaco's Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez (2nd R) celebrates after opening the scoring during the French L1 football match Monaco (ASM) vs Nantes (FCN) on April 6, 2014© Getty Images

Napoli

Rodriguez's agent has admitted that he has already held talks with the Serie A side and that other parties are interested. Aytekin Erayabakan told AreaNapoli: "I can confirm that I have spoken with Napoli. [Aurelio] De Laurentiis is a great person and one of the best presidents I have ever seen.

"But the Neapolitans are not the only ones that are following Rodriguez. Let's see what the future holds. There are several European clubs after him, but it's best not to say anything at the moment.

"How much will he cost? I don't know. But what I can say is that his price has increased after the way he's played these past few months."

Napoli's third-placed finish in the Italian league last season means that they can offer Champions League football, although their 24-point gap to champions Juventus suggests that Rodriguez may struggle to win a league title with Napoli. The team certainly did not struggle for goals last season, but with Gonzalo Higuain being linked with a move to Barcelona, Rodriguez could potentially be a star for the Italian club.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur

The Premier League duo have both emerged as potential suitors for Rodriguez over the last couple of weeks. After last season, Spurs could certainly use a player with the midfielder's talents, but last summer's post-Gareth Bale spending spree may put Rodriguez out of range this summer. Meanwhile, Man Utd are also rebuilding, and like Spurs have a new manager. Louis van Gaal's CV would surely catch Rodriguez's eye, but with the addition of Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao last week, Rodriguez may struggle to find a regular place in the side. Unlike the two Spanish sides, Napoli and Rodriguez's current club Monaco, neither United nor Tottenham will be able to offer him Champions League football next season. Given that he has excelled on the biggest stage in international football, Rodriguez will surely be looking to play in the biggest tournament in club football next season.

Uruguay's goalkeeper Fernando Muslera fails to save Colombia's midfielder James Rodriguez' (R) shot during the Round of 16 football match between Colombia and Uruguay at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil on Ju© Getty Images

Staying at Monaco?

Despite so many clubs supposedly chasing the Colombia international, it would not be the end of the world for him to remain with Monaco. The Ligue 1 side invested heavily in their squad last summer, including bringing in Rodriguez for a €45m (£35m) fee from Porto, and will presumably be stronger as a team now that they have a year's experience playing together. They missed out on the league title last season, but were just nine points behind champions Paris Saint-Germain and will feature in the Champions League this year. For Monaco to consider selling him after just a year, they would presumably be seeking to recoup their initial investment with interest, pricing all but the richest clubs out of the market, so it would not be a shock to see him remain at Monaco for at least another season. However, anything can happen in the transfer window, and there is still over two months before it closes.

ID:162392: cacheID:162392:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:10203:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Uruguay's goalkeeper Fernando Muslera fails to save Colombia's midfielder James Rodriguez' (R) shot during the Round of 16 football match between Colombia and Uruguay at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil on Ju
Read Next:
Match Analysis: Colombia 2-0 Uruguay
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
2Arsenal32225575264971
3Liverpool32218372314171
4Aston Villa33196868491963
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle321551269521750
7Manchester UnitedMan Utd32155124748-150
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham33139115258-648
9Chelsea31138106152947
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves32127134651-543
12Fulham33126154951-242
13Bournemouth32119124757-1042
14Crystal Palace3289153754-1733
15Brentford3388174758-1132
16Everton3298153248-1627
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3379174258-1626
18Luton TownLuton3367204670-2425
19Burnley3348213368-3520
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3237223084-5416


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!