Report: Bayern is looking at replacements for James

In a stunning turn of events, the ever-reliable, dependable, and frankly trustworthy Spanish news outlet, Marca, is reporting that Bayern Munich is looking into possible replacements for James Rodriguez given the Colombian’s imminent return to Real Madrid.

With James Rodriguez suddenly determined to return to Real Madrid, Bayern Munich have begun preparations to replace the Colombian. So far this summer, Die Roten can count on a net profit of 40 million euros thanks to Douglas Costa’s permanent move to Juventus and the free transfer of Leon Goretzka in from Schalke 04. It gives them room for maneuver in the market despite the uncertainty over exactly how James will end his loan stint with the club 12 months early, which agent Jorge Mendes is currently negotiating.

To recap, on Saturday, the adoptive father of James spoke publicly about his willingness to join Real Madrid and just hours later it was reported that a representative from James’s agency, Jorge Mendes, was in Germany to negotiate a release for James.

On Monday, however, Gestifute, the agency for which Mendes works, issued a statement about James saying “there is no chance he can leave Bayern this summer because there is no option for either club to break the agreement.”

Undaunted by any of these details, Marca dove right into detailing what Bayern would be looking for to replace James:

Naturally, Bayern want a new midfielder who has similar characteristics as Rodriguez, who scored 7 goals and assisted a further 11 goals in the Bundesliga last season. Besides Goretzka, only Serge Gnabry and Renato Sanches have arrived to bolster Munich’s midfield this summer, both of whom are merely returning from loan spells away. By seeking James’s replacement before his exit is sealed, Bayern mirror their actions from when Robert Lewandowski’s situation looked precarious. The German club sounded out a move for Alvaro Morata, among others, before the Pole’s exit was shut down.

Hopefully soon, either James, Bayern, or Real Madrid will address this whole saga publicly to put an end to it one way or another.