Spurs & Arsenal in mix for £40m+ star, but player wants Mourinho link-up

Manchester United, Spurs and Arsenal are among a pack of clubs chasing Real Madrid's James Rodriguez, according to reports from Diario Gol - who claim that Jose Mourinho's presence at Old Trafford gives the Red Devils the upper hand.

The Colombia international is widely seen as one of the top South American stars and has been at the Bernabeu since 2014.

After joining Los Blancos on the back of a fine World Cup, the 25-year-old enjoyed a decent debut campaign in Spain, but his game time has tailed off since the appointment of Zinedine Zidane as manager.

Indeed, there were reports over the summer claiming the Frenchman does not favour Rodriguez, and Diario Gol have now revealed that interest in the player's signature is serious, with Man United, Spurs and Arsenal - as well as Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco - all keen.

However, it's understood that Mourinho's presence in the Old Trafford hot-seat is a big factor, with Rodriguez's agent, Jorge Mendes - who also represents ‘the Special One' - having swayed the player towards the Manchester club.

The attacker has only featured in 34 minutes of La Liga action this season and saw his game time restricted last term.

Diario Gol claim that a fee of between €50m (£42.5m) and €60m (£51m) may be enough to lure him away from Madrid.