James Rodriguez has given his approval to Carlo Ancelotti over a potential switch to Napoli, with the Serie A giants now requiring an agreement with Real Madrid to seal the deal.
The Colombia international has spent the last two seasons on loan at Bayern Munich and the German champions have an option to sign the playmaker on a permanent deal for €42m, with a deadline of 15 June set for the Bavarians to make a decision on their next move.
However, according to the AS, any decision from Bayern on Rodriguez’s future could prove inconsequential. It is said that Rodriguez has already been contacted by Carlo Ancelotti regarding a move to Napoli, and the midfielder has agreed to the switch.
Having played under the Italian tactician both at Madrid and Bayern, Rodriguez is apparently keen to play under Ancelotti once more, with Zinedine Zidane’s return to the Bernabeu having effectively ended any possibility of a return to the Spanish capital for the Colombian.
However, Napoli now face the task of coming to an agreement over the transfer with Madrid. Los Blancos will apparently demand the same €42m that they would have received from Bayern as their option to buy, but talks could be smoothed by positive relations between the two clubs.
Should Rodriguez make the switch to Naples, he would follow in the footsteps of Raul Albiol and Jose Callejon in swapping the Bernabeu for Stadio San Paolo. The player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has also dealt as an intermediary in the past, and even offered to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for Napoli prior to his move to Juventus last summer.
It is suggested that Rodriguez is an ideal fit for the profile of player that Ancelotti is looking to add to his ranks next season, a player of high technical calibre able to link the play between midfield and attack.
The signing of Rodriguez to play under Ancelotti at Napoli would also strengthen the club’s position ahead of a transitional campaign in which many of Serie A’s other top sides will be entering new phases with new managers at the helm, including Juventus.
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