James Rodriguez is on the verge of joining La Liga's Rayo Vallecano. The 33-year-old Colombian star, currently a free agent, terminated his contract with Brazilian club Sao Paulo earlier this summer. He is expected to ink a one-year deal with the Spanish club, with an option to extend for an additional year.
Rodriguez recently made headlines at the Copa America in the United States, where he played a key role for Colombia. He notched six assists and scored a goal, helping his team reach the final, where they fell to Argentina. His impressive performances earned him the Golden Ball as the tournament's most valuable player, and he was named to the team of the tournament.
It's been a while since Rodriguez played in Europe. His last stint was with Greek club Olympiacos, where he made 23 appearances before moving to Sao Paulo. However, his time in Brazil was brief, with only 14 appearances in a year before he decided to part ways with the club.
Rodriguez is no stranger to Spanish football, having spent six years at Real Madrid, although he was loaned out to Bayern Munich for two of those years. During his time with Madrid, he scored 37 goals in 125 games, winning two La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies.
In 2020, he moved to Everton in the Premier League, reuniting with former Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. At Everton, Rodriguez managed six goals and eight assists in 28 games before moving to Al-Rayyan in Qatar after just one season.
Rayo Vallecano is no stranger to Colombian talent either. They previously had Radamel Falcao, another Colombian international, on their roster. Falcao spent three seasons with Rayo, scoring 13 goals in 80 appearances before returning to Colombia to join Millonarios last season.
Rayo had a tough season last year, finishing 17th in La Liga. However, they've started the new campaign with a win and a draw. Next up, they face Barcelona at home on Tuesday.
