Juventus 'seriously interested' in James Rodríguez | OneFootball

Juventus are exploring the possibility of signing James Rodríguez in the summer, according to reports in Italy.

The Bianconeri are said to be long-term admirers of the Colombian playmaker, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich from Real Madrid.

Bayern will have the option to sign James permanently for €42m at the end of the season and must make a decision by 15 June.

However, as things stand, it seems unlikely the Bundesliga champions will be exercising that option.

The 27-year-old’s performances have not been consistently at the levels expected of him when he joined the club in the summer of 2017 and to further complicate matters, he is currently sidelined with a partial rupture of the lateral collateral ligament.

It seems Real Madrid no longer want him either but according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, Juventus are seriously interested in adding the former Monaco man to their squad in time for next season.

James is represented by Jorge Mendes – who played a crucial role in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo to Turin last summer – and the Portuguese super-agent is currently in Dubai for the Globe Soccer Awards.

While there, he is expected to meet with Juve sporting director Fabio Paratici to discuss the possibility of James moving to Italy in the summer.

Juve are also understood to be interested in Real Madrid’s Isco and it is not yet known whether they’d prefer to sign the Spaniard over James.