Usually when a club is linked with a £75m transfer for a Real Madrid player with a knack for scoring sensational goals, there's cringe-worthy excitement amongst the fans on social media, and yet, when Man Utd were linked with Colombian star James Rodriguez, opinions were noticeably divided.
One the one hand, Rodriguez is an unquestionably talented player, and a potential megastar who has merely not fit into Zinedine Zidane's plans.
But on the other hand, well, there are more reasons to suggest that this signing may not work out, such as:
-Man Utd having plenty of players in James' position and a serious need to strengthen elsewhere.
-The fee is extremely high for a player that isn't wanted by his current club.
-The pressure on Rodriguez to deliver immediately in an unfamiliar league.
-There is no indication that Rodriguez wants to play for Man Utd, and another Di Maria situation is entirely plausible.
That last factor, the example of Angel Di Maria, is what has the supporters worried the most. Real Madrid essentially shoved Angel Maria out the door (incredibly to make room for James Rodriguez) in 2014, and Man Utd were more than happy to welcome him in, not thinking about where he would play in the system or if he would fit in Manchester at all. The results were embarrassing, as Di Maria wanted out and got his wish after one underwhelming season.
The reports that emerged linking United to James were believable, as it very much looks like Ed Woodward gets particular satisfaction in delivering "big name" signings at Old Trafford, but were it to go through it would be a worrying sign that the club isn't learning from it's mistakes.
However, there is hope. James Ducker from The Telegraph and Simon Stone of the BBC have seemingly both been briefed that all of the James Rodriguez talk is coming from Madrid, who are trying to generate interest in their player.
#MUFC not after James Rodriguez, other forwards they're pursuing. Real trying to create a market for Rodriguez hence endless links
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) May 16, 2017
Lot of chatter but am not getting any sense Man Utd are actually trying to sign James Rodriguez.
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) May 16, 2017
That's bad news if you want James Rodriguez to sign for Manchester United, and many do, which is both understandable and entirely fair enough. Again, he's a quality player, and he could well be a star in the Premier League... But it's a risk.
If you sign a player for £75m, you've got to play him. If you want to get the best out of James Rodriguez, you should be playing him as a traditional #10, behind a striker. Yes he can operate from out wide, but if United want to play with traditional wingers, James is certainly not that.
His reaction at the weekend, where he clearly said goodbye to the Bernabeu, suggests he is indeed going, but there are other clubs in Europe, notably the Milan clubs, with a lot of cash and a desperate need for star potential.
While it's a headline grabber, the idea of Manchester United going after James Rodriguez as a priority signing doesn't make much sense. The idea that they are looking at other targets, but may return to him if they don't land them, and the Real Madrid are talking up a deal to get other clubs interested, is far more likely.
Remember how close Sergio Ramos supposedly came to joining Man Utd in 2015? In that case it was the Spaniard using the English club to get the contract he desired, and deserved. This time, it seems like Real Madrid are the ones using United to get the cash they want.
Again, it could happen, but it just seems like an odd move. One thing is for sure, and that is that James Rodriguez to Manchester United is not a "done deal".
