Carlo Ancelotti Claims James Rodriguez Wasn't Signed as a Replacement for Bayern Munich Star
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that James Rodríguez was not signed to replace German international Thomas Müller. The Italian manager is adamant that Müller will be in his plans next season, with James having to fight for a starting place along with the rest of the squad.
Müller had a disappointing campaign last year, registering just 5 goals in 29 Bundesliga appearances. The German forward did create more chances than any other Bayern player last season, however, the arrival of James from Real Madrid cast doubt over Müller's involvement in the 2017/18 campaign, according to Squawka.
"Of course we didn’t buy James to replace Thomas Müller," commented Ancelotti. "If you think this way you can think he will replace Thiago [Alcântara] because he can play in the centre. He can play on the right or the left and so he can replace [Arjen] Robben or [Franck] Ribéry.
"Sometimes I put him as a midfielder so he can replace [Corentin] Tolisso and [Arturo] Vidal. We didn’t buy James to replace anyone. We bought James to add to the team.
"He is a good player. I know about his quality and his personality. I think he can help us. James knows if he doesn’t deserve to play he doesn’t play. He goes on the bench like a lot of players do," Ancelotti continued. "We have a lot of competition and this is good for the team. He has no guarantee to play. If he deserves to play he will play. If not, he will go on the bench."
Müller, who has spent 17 years with Bayern Munich, will be joined in the Bayern Munich squad by Real Madrid's Colombian midfielder, ex-Lyon man Tolisso and the TSG Hoffenheim duo of Sebastian Rudy and Niklas Süle. Competition for places will be high in the Bayern team and the squad will be in good spirits of retaining their Bundesliga crown next season.
