German football expert Raphael Honigstein gives his thoughts on James Rodriguez’s links with Arsenal.
Arsenal have been linked with many players including Ever Banega, Denis Suarez, James Rodriguez, and Yannick Carrasco. With the current limbo at the back, it has nothing been short of a disaster by leaking goals way too easily at the back.
On the other hand, midfielder Mesut Ozil has not been part of the squad for the last three games. The German International has often been in headlines for wrong reasons this season, by showing his stubborn character.
Unai Emery’s side always likes to press high up the pitch and shut down the defenders to play the ball to the attackers. It is exactly opposite what Mesut Ozil is doing by not putting in shift whenever required and goes missing in plenty of big games.
Recently, he was out for two weeks fore reported back problem. But, the reason proved to be hilarious as the former Real Madrid midfielder used to play the famous video game ‘Fortnite’ more than five hours per day which has infuriated his manager.
Besides, he is currently on a hefty wage which is constraining the club from making a move. Should the club cash in on him, there is every chance to see one of their targets in Gunners shirt sooner or rather than later.
However, German football expert Raphael Honigstein has completely rubbished the story by calling it a fake story. He also adds on that the Bavarians have paid a good amount for the loan deal which will become permanent should they decided to activate that clause at the end of the season.
“I don’t quite know where the story comes from,” he said.
“James Rodriguez is on a two-year loan at Bayern at the moment, he’s approaching the last six months of that loan.
“Bayern have paid €10-12million for those years and they have an option to make the move permanent by paying €42m.
“I don’t see what Bayern would gain now from breaking the loan short and giving him to Arsenal for half a year, I don’t even know how you would structure that.
“If the player says he doesn’t want to stay here, then he goes back to Real Madrid and they can decide what they want to do.
“He would now somehow be released three quarters into a two-year loan just when Bayern don’t have Thomas Muller for the next two Champions League games.
“It’s just a crazy story, I just don’t even understand who even had the imagination to come up with it.”
Following a narrow loss to West Ham United at Olympic Stadium last Saturday, they would be hoping for better performance and outcome against their arch-rivals Chelsea at the Emirates on Saturday.
