Gaizka Mendieta has given his backing to James Rodriguez amid claims that the Real Madrid benchwarmer could be on his way to the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers or Arsenal, speaking to El Espectador.
Gareth Bale is not the only seldom-seen superstar struggling for game time under Zinedine Zidane at the Santiago Bernabau.
Since returning to the Spanish capital after a mixed two-year spell at Bayern Munich, Rodriguez has started just four La Liga matches, falling behind the dynamic Fede Valverde in Los Blancos’ pecking order.
And, like Bale, the feeling from outside the Bernabau is that Rodriguez needs a fresh start in order to rebuild his ailing reputation.
Marca claimed in March that an Arsenal side lacking creativity during Mesut Ozil’s ongoing malaise could step up to offer Rodriguez a fresh start.
Everton have also been linked with a Colombian international who produced the best football of his career under Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabau.
Ancelotti did his level best to reunite with Rodriguez at Napoli last summer and, 12 months on, the veteran coach could make another attempt to sign a man who cost Madrid £63 million after the winning the World Cup Golden Boot in 2014.
And Mendietta would love to see Rodriguez strut his stuff on a weekly basis again after a wasted year in Madrid.
“James seems to me a bit of a player. I really like him and I would like to see him more on the pitch,” the former Barcelona, Valencia and Lazio star says.
“Bbut due to injuries and different reasons he has had few minutes (to play). In a club like Madrid, there is nothing guaranteed and the competition is great.
“You cannot give advantages (to rival players) and he has given them.”
Given the close relationship between Wolves and Jorge Mendes, it was no surprise that they were tipped to sign Rodriguez too by the Spanish press.
El Desmarque reported in March that Wolves asked Mendes to bring Rodriguez to Molineux – though the trail has grown cold over the last few months.
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