James Rodriguez' confession about Man Utd transfer agreement with star available on a free

Posted Friday, April 14, 2023 by Express.co.uk

Manchester United have been linked with a move for James Rodriguez in the past and the Colombian icon is now available on a free transfer.

James Rodriguez has already admitted that Manchester United tried to sign him in 2012 but the move fell through because of some reason unknown to him. The Colombian World Cup icon is once again on the market as a free agent after his deal with Olympiacos was terminated following a string of disappointing performances.

Rodriguez was once one of the hottest prospects in world football after a series of impressive displays for Porto as a youngster. United were believed to have held an interest in him at the time but nothing materialised meaning he went on to join Monaco instead in 2013.

“I believe it was in 2012,” Rodriguez told BT Sport while playing for Everton in 2020. “The club [Man Utd] had offered me something, but in the end that didn't happen because of some reason I don't know, but well... football always leads you to the correct path, to a team where you can actually play well.

“If it didn't happen, it was for some consistent reason. Maybe I wasn't ready for it, or maybe it was because I was made to play in another great team. In the end, I had the opportunity to go to France, and that was the path that I could follow.”

James Rodriguez' confession about Man Utd transfer agreement with star available on a free
Manchester United have been linked with James Rodriguez in the past (Image: GETTY)

It would not be long until the technician would leave the Red Devils kicking themselves for missing out after his now legendary performance at the 2014 World Cup. The then 22-year-old was considered by many to be the player of the tournament after helping Colombia to the quarter-finals with his goal in the 2-0 win over Uruguay won one of the best goals in the competition's history.

However, his career has been on a downward trajectory ever since. A move to Real Madrid followed his excellent World Cup but he failed to really make the grade at the Bernabeu and was eventually loaned to Bayern Munich in 2017.

James Rodriguez' confession about Man Utd transfer agreement with star available on a free
James Rodriguez was once linked with a move to Manchester United. (Image: GETTY)

The Bundesliga giants passed up the opportunity to make his two-year spell permanent and he returned to Madrid for one more year before joining Everton - to much fanfare at Goodison Park.

Yet he moved on to the Middle East after just one year on Merseyside after failing to capitalise on an impressive start before joining Olympiacos over the summer. The Greek champions are just the latest in a long line of failed transfers and he has now been released free for any club to pick up in the summer.

While United fans may feel downbeat by the fact they never got to see Rodriguez at the club in his prime, his performances in the years since may have them feeling like they have made a lucky escape.