Carlo Ancelotti Reiterates Napoli Interest in James Rodriguez as Atletico President Discusses Deal
We've had some pretty major developments in the saga surrounding James Rodriguez's future beyond Real Madrid, as both Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti and Atletico Madrid president Gil Martin have admitted to interest in the Colombian.
Rodriguez returned to Real this summer after Bayern Munich passed on the opportunity to make his two-year loan permanent, and he is not expected to feature in Zinedine Zidane's plans going forward.
The 28-year-old's future isn't as bleak as it may seem, however. Despite an injury-ravaged spell in Germany that yielded 15 goals in 67 appearances, he is likely to field multiple offers for his signature, with Napoli emerging as the obvious frontrunner.
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Some managers may opt to keep their lips tight on such speculation, but Carlo Ancelotti is not just some manager.
"There is neither optimism nor pessimism," he said, via Marca. "We'll see what happens. He's a player that interests us. Real Madrid want to sell him and we want him.
"Everything is open."
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They have competition, however, chiefly from Real's city rivals. Atletico have also been pretty heavily linked with the former Monaco man, and president Martin confirmed the speculation in similarly frank terms.
"I know that many Atletico Madrid fans would like [James]," he told ESPN, via Marca. "Additionally, speaking with some players, they believe he would bring that special quality and that is good for us.
"I know that our coach likes him, that James does not want to continue at Real Madrid and that Real Madrid do not want him to continue, but there have to be many circumstances for it to become possible. It would be very nice.
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"It depends very much on the president of Real Madrid."
It's interesting to note that both say Real want to sell James, so if nothing else, we have a clearer indication than ever that he is on the way out from the Bernabeu this summer.
