Rayo Vallecano made a splash in the transfer market this summer when they brought in the 2024 Copa America Player of the Tournament James Rodriguez on a free transfer, having left Sao Paulo in Brazil. However the former Real Madrid star has not had the desired impact in Vallecas.
There was no shortage of people excited about his arrival, but Rodriguez failed to convince manager Inigo Perez of his value, with Oscar Trejo and Isi Palazon enjoying game time ahead of him. Marca say that Rayo and Rodriguez have agreed to terminate his contract, with the Colombia star giving up the ‘promotional part’ of his contract, which was around €1.2m. His status changed after an interview with the same outlet, when he called into question the level of his teammates and the judgement of his manager, at which point the club moved to end his time there.
Rodriguez gave one assist in his 7 appearances for Rayo, making just two starts in total, one of which was in La Liga, and another in the Copa del Rey. Many saw Rodriguez’s lack of commitment to pressing and desire to play a free role as key obstacles to Perez using him more often before, the relationship soured.
