Report: Manchester United not interested in James Rodriguez

Maybe the Colombian isn’t headed to Old Trafford after all.

After rumors swirled this week that Real Madrid offered attacker James Rodriguez to Manchester United, it looks like that particular saga may be at an end. According to James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph, United are not interested in the captain of the Colombian national team.

United are widely expected to be in the market for a center forward or striker this summer, with the aging Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s future up in the air after his knee injury. That said, it doesn’t look like Rodriguez is Jose Mourinho’s target of choice.

This report comes on the heels of suggestions earlier this week that United had been offered an exclusive chance to buy Rodriguez, according to Sky Sports.

Rodriguez has appeared in 29 games for Real this season, tallying 11 goals and eight assists. He’s fallen out of favor with manager Zinedine Zidane this year, and largely been kept out of important Champions League and La Liga fixtures.

According to Ducker’s report, the Spanish giants are looking for a buyer to take Rodriguez, trying to stir up interest among Europe’s major clubs.

Real paid a massive €80 million for Rodriguez back in 2014, bringing him over to Spain after a season at Monaco. He caught the attention of the world’s major clubs at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he scored six goals in five matches for Colombia, leading them to an appearance in the quarterfinal.

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United have work to do this summer, with several lineup holes to fill. Finding a forward to play with Marcus Rashford would seem to be a priority, with the young Mancunian still not a sure thing. Mourinho might need to look for a goalkeeper as well, should David De Gea make the move to Real Madrid that’s been heavily rumored.