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Aston Villa have been offered the chance to sign former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder James Rodriguez.
The Colombian was a revelation in this summer's Copa America as he led his nation to the final only to be narrowly beaten by Argentina. According to reports by TBR Football, several clubs including Villa have been contacted and presented with the option to secure the superstar's signature as he has a desire to prove himself in England’s elite division once again.
Rodriguez, 33, spent last season at Sao Paulo after a stint in Greece with Olympiacos. However, he also has Premier League experience after an impressive spell at Everton in 2020/21, registering six goals and four assists in 23 appearances under Carlo Ancelotti.
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The attacking midfielder burst onto the scene at the 2014 World Cup - notably, smashing home a stunning volley against Uruguay, which went a long way to earning him a £63m move to Real Madrid during Ancelotti’s first reign at the Bernabéu. Injuries ultimately stopped Rodriguez from reaching his potential in the Spanish Capital and he moved to Bayern Munich, where he continued to produce solid numbers but injuries were never far away.
The Real Madrid boss summed up Rodriguez's talents in 2020 when he said: “He’s a great, talented player. He doesn’t miss passes, never loses control of the ball or wastes shots on target. He doesn’t play complicated football, he thinks of football as a simple thing.”
Rodriguez is currently a free transfer but his wages would be substantial - and it is unclear how Villa view the idea of a deal. If he were to arrive at Bodymoor Heath he would provide an inspirational figure for fellow attacking midfielders Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers who could learn a lot from the Colombian.