Manchester United and Chelsea Vying for Real Madrid Outcast, Valued at $83 Million

Conte and Mourinho
Antonio Conte, left, and Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford, Manchester, U.K., April 16. Conte's Chelsea and Mourinho's Manchester United are reportedly vying for James Rodriguez's services. OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty

Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea are battling for the services of Real Madrid's James Rodriguez next season, according to reports in Spain.

The 25-year-old Colombian has struggled to secure a place in Zinedine Zidane's first-team this season, though he has scored five times in as many games at the end of the current campaign.

Real Madrid, according to Spanish language sports site AS, values Rodriguez at 75 million euros ($83 million) and would be willing to sell him to Jose Mourinho's team, as the player shares an agent, Jorge Mendes, with the United manager.

With United set to finish outside the top four in the Premier League, and clinging to hopes of a Europa League final win next week in order to qualify for the Champions League, Mourinho is looking to invest in players this summer.

But he is also facing competition from his former club Chelsea, the newly crowned champions of England, according to sports news site Marca.

Antonio Conte's team has secured the title with one game to go, and the Italian manager is believed to have been planning for next season for the past few months.

Rodriguez fell out of favor under former Real manager Rafa Benitez, and then failed to impress Zidane when he took over in January 2016.

He moved to the Bernabeu from Monaco in the summer of 2014, following an impressive display in Brazil at the World Cup, for a fee believed to be around £71 million ($91 million).

Rodriguez's has had an impressive goal return, scoring 28 times in 59 stars in La Liga, but he looks to be in his final weeks in the Spanish capital.

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