Reports in Spain claim Real Madrid’s move for James Rodriguez is effectively complete with only the fine details to be decided.
AS say that the Monaco playmaker will move to Santiago Bernabeu for €80m and will be presented as a Madrid player this week.
Marca agree a deal is close – and say it could be confirmed as early as today – but put the transfer fee at €75m. They also believe James will sign a six-year, €7m-a-season contract.
The clubs are still discussing if a player is included in the deal, according to AS, but James is expected to join up with the Madrid squad for August 1.
That’s the date Madrid’s World Cup quarter-finalists are to return to training, specifically France pair Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane.
James was briefly in Madrid over the weekend – a stop on his flight from Colombia to France. He signed autographs and posed for pictures before heading for Nice, where he will finalise the details of his Monaco departure.
Madrid are hopeful of presenting James on Thursday, AS report, and are putting in place the equipment for the presentation and making time on the club’s TV channel.
James has been assigned the No.10 shirt vacated last year by Mesut Ozil and already has a room in the club’s training complex.
