Primera Liga in focus: James Rodriguez a man in demand, except, it would seem, at Real Madrid

The versatile Colombian playmaker has been used sparingly by his manager Zinedine Zidane this season and could be used as a bargaining chip in Real Madrid's pursuit of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea this summer.

Real Madrid's Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish Primera Liga match against at Nuevo Los Carmenes stadium in Granada on May 6, 2017. Sergio CamachoShow more

Twenty three. The number of league goals James Rodriguez has been involved in this season, with 11 goals and 12 assists. More than any other midfielder in Spain.

Twenty three. The number of passes in the build-up to Rodriguez’s opening goal for Real Madrid at doomed Granada on Saturday. More than any other Madrid goal this season.

Twenty three. The number of Madrid goals in their past five away games as hammered Leganes, Bayern Munich, Sporting Gijon and Deportivo La Coruna.

Madrid and the Rodriguez, 25, are both in fine form as they head into Wednesday’s away match at Atletico Madrid in the Uefa Champions League semi-final second leg. Madrid lead 3-0 from the first, and are clear favourites to go through.

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Read more

■ La Liga round-up: Real Madrid 'reserves' thrash Granada

■ In pictures: No Cristiano Ronaldo, no problem as Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez step up

■ Andy Mitten: Barcelona's famed front three all on target as Villarreal cast aside

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The Colombian has scored five goals in his past four league matches, one of them an eight-minute cameo in the clasico, although his 88th-minute equaliser was quickly overshadowed by Lionel Messi’s 93rd-minute winner. Madrid’s third most expensive signing was involved in those four games playing four different positions. Against Barcelona he played on the left wing, against Deportivoin a central role, he was on the right wing against Valencia and against Granada, Madrid’s No 10 actually played where he might expect to play: in an attacking central role behind the main striker.

Yet there would be no surprise if the former Envigado, Banfield, Porto and Monaco player did not start tonight in what will be the last European game at the Vicente Calderon. He did not start in the home leg, nor against Bayern Munich in the previous round. Madrid did not pay €80 million (Dh320m) for him not to start, but he is in a difficult position: a jack of several trades who can score and create, not considered the master by Zinedine Zidane who prefers Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale as his front three, meaning Alvaro Morata and Rodriguez lose out.

Zidane likes two holding midfielders and has elevated Casemiro as his favourite alongside Toni Kroos. Luca Modric can play just ahead of them before the front three, with Isco another option. Both are ahead of Rodriguez, who is more likely to start in less important games. With outstanding talents such as Marco Asensio, Lucas Vasquez and Mateo Kovacic not even making Zidane’s first XI, no club in world football has a squad with Real Madrid’s depth, a key reason why they are favourites to retain the Champions League and win the Primera Liga.

Rodriguez is prodigiously talented, but he has been in Madrid’s starting XI in only 12 of their 36 games this season, giving fuel to the rumours that he will be sold by Florentino Perez to a Premier League team this summer. He is a player who could thrive in England, just as he did in Colombia, Argentina, Portugal, France and the 2014 World Cup finals. He is an easy adaptor, as versatile over where he lives and who he plays for as where he plays on the field, be it as a playmaker, on either wing or a central role, though he prefers to play as a No 10. Rodriguez is already at his fifth club and all remember him well. His image hangs on the walls of Banfield’s stadium in a Buenos Aires suburb alongside that of another club legend, Javier Zanetti.

Perez knows there is demand for a player with outstanding vision and technique, a two-footed ballplayer who is an expert at free kicks and dribbling, just as there was demand for Angel di Maria and Mesut Ozil. Rodriguez is good enough to be the main man at one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not at Real Madrid.

Madrid are under no pressure to sell anyone and Perez will likely let English clubs enter a bidding war for a player who, at 25, is the perfect age to profit from. Rodriguez also offers significant collateral for the players Madrid want to buy including Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea. Madrid are signing brilliant young players, with Flamengo's Vinicius Junior, 16, set to join the club along with Theo Hernandez from Alaves. The latter is on loan from Atletico Madrid, which will agitate Atletico. More the reason for Diego Simeone's side to feel vengeful on Wednesday, not that they are likely to come up against James Rodriguez.

Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde would be a solid option to replace Luis Enrique at Barcelona

Barcelona have yet to confirm their next manager, but Athletic Bilbao’s Ernesto Valverde is the favourite. The 53-year-old Spaniard, who played for Barca for two seasons in 1988-90, has been in charge at San Mames since 2013, leading the Basque Country’s biggest club to fourth, seventh and fifth-place finishes. They had finished 12th, 10th and sixth in the previous three seasons.

While Valverde has outdone his predecessor Marcelo Biesla and won the respect of players including Ander Herrera who considers him to be the best manager that he has. worked under, he can surely do no more at Athletic given the club’s strict Basque-only player pool he has to work with.

Valverde has stayed loyal to the club where he played most of his career. He is also in his third spell on the bench after first working as an assistant in 2001, then managing the club in between 2003-05 before returning in 2013 after working at Espanyol, Olympiakos, Villarreal and Valencia.

Having worked at unstable clubs, the man from rural Extremadura in central Spain appreciates the stability in Bilbao. He has an excellent relationship with the club president Josu Urrutia, who is now in his seventh year as president. The stable foundations helped the club move relatively seamlessly to their new home in 2012. Average crowds have risen to 42,000 in the 53,000-capacity stadium and European football is now a regular feature only a decade after a 17th-place finish and serious contemplation that Athletic, who are fifth in the all-time Spanish league table, would be relegated for the first time.

Valverde also led Athletic to a first trophy in 31 years when they defeated Barcelona to lift the 2015 Spanish Super Cup. Valverde has been a success and a manager of such talent that he took Espanyol to the final of the 2007 Uefa Cup as well as Olympiakos to three domestic titles. But he is not going to win the league while Athletic stick proudly to their traditions.

If he moves to Barcelona, he will have the best players at his disposal to win everything, the best player in the world in Lionel Messi, plus the challenge to get them back to the top.

He is not the only candidate. Luis Enrique’s tough-minded assistant Juan Carlos Unzue is an internal option, while Sevilla’s Jorge Sampaoli has fallen from favour and Everton’s Ronald Koeman has some doubters within Camp Nou after a poor spell at Valencia.

Barcelona claim they have already made their decision but will not make it public out of respect to the current manager, who will step down this summer after three magnificent seasons. Valverde would be a solid option.

Game of the week

Real Madrid are at home to fourth-place Sevilla in Spain’s biggest game this weekend. Out of form Las Palmas, who know their manager is leaving, host Barcelona.

With relegation battlers Leganes winning on Monday, Sporting Gijon need to a victory at Eibar to keep their survival hopes alive.

Player of the week

Neymar and Lionel Messi shone as Barcelona beat Villarreal 4-1 in front of a huge 90,463 Camp Nou crowd to keep the pressure on Real Madrid. James Rodriguez was Madrid’s best player in their 4-0 win at relegated Granada. Saul Niguez scored the only goal and was man of the match for Atletico Madrid against Eibar.

What else?

■ Malaga have won six of their past seven league games, as many as they had won in their previous 29. New manager Michel has got them up to 11th. He will be hoping to hold onto striker Sandro Ramirez who has now scored 13 in the league, the best for a Malaga striker since Soloman Rondon in 2010/11. They beat a Celta Vigo side 3-0 who continue to rest players ahead of Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Manchester United.

■ Valencia beat Osasuna 4-1 at home and caretaker manager Voro has won 10 of 16 games at home, but the fact that only 22,050 turned up indicated how much Valencia have fallen.

■ In the second division, Girona won 3-1 against promotion-chasing Huesca to stay second with a seven-point cushion over Getafe, who enjoyed a rare sell-out crowd as they beat Cordoba 2-0. They have five games to play. Mallorca got a 93rd-minute winner to keep their slim survival hopes alive.

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