James future in Zidane´s hands, says Real Madrid chief Perez

The future of Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez will be decided by Zinedine Zidane, according to club president Florentino Perez.

The Colombia international’s future has been the subject of speculation for much of the season and his omission from the squad for Saturday’s Champions League final has sparked further talk that his time with Madrid is coming to an end.

Manchester United and Inter have been heavily linked with moves for the 25-year-old, who only made 20 starts in all competitions in 2016-17.

Perez insists he would like to keep all of Madrid’s squad together, but said he would hold talks with head coach Zidane to determine their transfer plans.

“We’re going to speak with Zidane, who’s the conductor of this orchestra. If it were up to me, everyone would stay,” he told Antena 3.

“James is an incredible player, but when you have so many…

“I’d have everyone stay. We’ll speak with the coach; he is the person who will decide the future.”

 #CHAMP12NS#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/qSkwGmddmq

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) June 3, 2017

Madrid beat Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff to become the first team to win back-to-back Champions Leagues since the competition’s modern format began in 1992.

It is the fifth major trophy Zidane has won as coach in just 17 months at the club, following triumphs in LaLiga, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup this season and in Europe last year.

The former France star stated afterwards that he is keen to stay on at the Santiago Bernabeu, despite having been cautious in committing his future to the club in recent months, and Perez says he can continue for as long as he wishes.

“He can spend his life at Madrid,” he told Cadena SER.

Earlier, he told Antena 3: “He’s a person that all us Madridistas have to thank. He elevated our level of talent in 2001 and put on a show.

“He’s done this in 17 months, and in 17 months you can’t do everything.

“He said that [about his future] to free himself of the pressure. He said that he hadn’t won anything, but now he has won everything.”