Real Madrid: Zidane starting to change his opinion about James
The French coach is delighted with the attitude and level that the Colombian is showing in training, although that does not guarantee that he will remain at Real Madrid.
A few weeks ago, it seemed that James Rodriguez’s exit from Real Madrid was only a matter of time.
However, the wake-up call that was the 7-3 thrashing by Atlético in New York prompted the club to reconsider its position on the Colombian, despite the fact Zinedine Zidane did not want him in his squad.
But as the days have passed, even Zizou himself has begun to change his opinion about James. And the attitude and performance levels he is showing in training has led the French coach to communicate to the club that he is currently very happy with the 28-year-old midfielder.
Zidane could hand James start against Valladolid
Evidence of Zidane’s changing stance was the fact that he included James in the squad for the opening LaLiga game against Celta Vigo and planned to give the Colombian minutes. However, the expulsion of Luka Modric disrupted his plans. Now, Zidane is seriously considering the possibility of rewarding James for all his hard work in training with a start against Valladolid on Sunday.
More evidence that James’ situation at Madrid has changed can be seen by watching the latest training videos published through the club's communication channels, in which the Colombian features heavily – as opposed to a few weeks ago when he barely appeared in the background.
James continuity will depend on Madrid’s transfer market activity
But despite all this, James’ continuity at Real Madrid is not guaranteed, and could depend on whether or not Madrid finally signs the likes of Neymar, Pogba or Bruno Fernandes.
In the event that Los Blancos manage to secure a Galáctico-level signing before the close of the transfer market, then it would be necessary to part with some players, and James could be top of the list. But in the meantime, as he waits to see what happens before the transfer market close, the Colombia international will continue to try his best to convince Zidane that he deserves to stay.