James Rodriguez Favours Real Madrid Return Following Zinedine Zidane Departure

James Rodriguez is open to returning to Real Madrid to try and regain his place in the first team, now that Zinedine Zidane has left the club. Zidane decided

James Rodriguez is open to returning to Real Madrid to try and regain his place in the first team, now that Zinedine Zidane has left the club.

Zidane decided that Rodriguez was surplus to requirements at the club last season and loaned him out to Bayern Munich for €13m, where he impressed as the Bavarian side won their sixth consecutive Bundesliga title.

🇨🇴🎉 Our Colombian magician turns 27 today! Happy Birthday, @jamesdrodriguez!

Free James printing, today only ➡️ https://t.co/zJR1VxioWq #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/dSWCLUksTI

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) July 12, 2018

As Marca reports, the loan deal runs until next summer and Bayern possess a purchase option, meaning that Real will have to negotiate a deal if they want to bring Rodriguez back to the Spanish capital.

Bayern have already stated their intent to activate the purchase option and make Rodriguez theirs on a permanent basis, but the Colombian's ambitions appear to have changed now that Julen Lopetegui has replaced Zidane in the Bernabeu hotseat.

Rodriguez moved to Real after winning the golden boot at the 2014 World Cup, and in a stunning first season he scored 17 goals and provided 18 assists under the management of Carlo Ancelotti.

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His form dropped off under subsequent managers Rafa Benitez and then Zidane, who believed that Rodriguez did not work hard enough in training and left him out for Los Blancos' Champions League final wins in 2016 and 2017.

Ancelotti re-signed him for the German champions last summer and although the Italian was sacked in September, Rodriguez was credited with being a big part of Bayern's title success with his seven goals and 11 assists.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge publicly thanked Ancelotti for recommending Rodriguez, indicating that they are unwilling to let the 27-year-old return to Spain anytime soon.