Mourinho turned down chance to sign Rodriguez – report

Matt Stead

Jose Mourinho rejected the chance to sign James Rodriguez for Manchester United this summer.

Rodriguez joined Bayern Munich on a two-year loan deal earlier this week, having fallen out of favour at Real Madrid.

The Colombian has become the most expensive loan player in history as a result, and Bayern have the option of making the move permanent in 2019.

United and Chelsea were among a long list of clubs who had been linked to Rodriguez throughout the summer, but it has been claimed that Mourinho turned down the opportunity to bring him to Old Trafford.

According to chief lickspittle Duncan Castles, reporting for Yahoo, United ‘passed up the opportunity’ to sign the player ‘on the advice of manager Jose Mourinho’.

It is claimed that Mourinho had ‘questioned’ Rodriguez ‘mental and physical’ suitability for the Premier League, and United ‘ preferred to look elsewhere to strengthen the second line of their attack’.