Minnesota United is in the mix for a shocking signing of Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez, a source confirmed to the Pioneer Press on Tuesday.
The Athletic and other outlets first reported the Loons are in contract talks with the 34-year-old former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich attacking midfielder. Rodriguez was recently with Club Leon in Mexico’s Liga MX but is currently a free agent.
The Loons have been in the mix for other attackers over the past year, including Brian Gutierrez and Mateusz Bagusz, but the club hasn’t been able to complete the deals.
MNUFC has also had difficulty with other foreign targets turning down deals due to to the current federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Both Slovenian midfielder Tomi Horvat and Dutch defender Cherrion Valerius voiced concerns to the club as a reason not to sign with the Loons in January.
Rodriguez’s current contract status would mean MNUFC would not have to pay a transfer fee to acquire his rights from another club. He would still likely command a big salary, but the Loons have the roster spending flexibility to pony up.
Rodriguez left Real Madrid in 2020 and has bounced around since then, with stops at Everton, Olympiacos, São Paulo, Rayo Vallecano and Leon. He had three goals and two assists in 981 minutes across 14 matches in the 2025-26 season.
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