Real Madrid midfielder, James Rodriguez, is reportedly on Tottenham’s radar this summer but Jose Mourinho’s previous criticism of the Columbian might suggest that the Spurs boss is not his biggest fan.
Canal RCN claim (as translated by TBR Football) that Real Madrid are prepared to offer Rodriguez to Spurs in any deal to sign Harry Kane.
Madrid are said to be keen on bringing the England captain to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer (Diario Madridista) and it is suggested that the Spanish giants want to use Rodriguez, who is reportedly valued at around £44m (AS), as a makeweight.
It was said that Spurs view the Columbian international, who won the Golden Boot in the 2014 World Cup, as a replacement for Christian Eriksen, who joined Inter Milan in January.
However, Jose Mourinho had some harsh words to say about the 28-year-old’s performance in Bayern’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in the first leg of last season’s Champions League quarterfinals.
While analyzing the game for Russia Today last season (as relayed by Goal.com), the Spurs boss said: “Bayern was just sad to see. I think they buckled at every possible perspective. Liverpool was the team that brought the line-up, Bayern was the team that kept the line back, big distance between the lines.
“[Robert] Lewandowski too lonely. No pressure in the midfield. James Rodriguez absolutely lost, incapable of making any kind of pressing, any kind of game in between the lines or connection with the three attacking players. So I think really a sad performance from Bayern.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Mourinho was most-likely talking about Rodriguez’s performance in that one game rather than criticizing his style in general. However, there is no doubt that the Real Madrid star is a luxury player who cannot be counted on to press with intensity or cover a lot of ground in midfield. For that reason, he doesn’t strike me as a typical Mourinho signing.
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