Former Everton and Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez is pushing for a return to European football as soon as possible. The player wants to leave his current side Al Rayyan, after scoring five goals and providing seven assists in 14 games.

The player made the move to Al Rayyan this past summer for a fee worth €8 million, but it hasn’t panned out to his liking. He has been dropped from the squad several times, and now has his heart set on a return to Europe.

James Rodriguez pushing for exit from Al Rayyan

James Rodriguez wants to leave Al Rayyan in the next months. The plan is to come back to European football as soon as possible. 👀🇨🇴 #transfers

His agent will open discussions with clubs in the coming weeks, as per @PSierraR. pic.twitter.com/sxYSZCooqO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 29, 2022

West Ham United and Aston Villa have been linked with the player for the summer transfer window. Rodriguez’s contract with the Qatari club is set to expire in 2024, which means that he will have two years remaining at the end of the season.

As a result, any club that is interested in him will have to pay a transfer fee unless his contract with the club is terminated. As of now, James Rodriguez is willing to take a pay cut to return back to the top five European leagues.

Both West Ham United and Aston Villa are looking for a creative central midfielder in the summer for a reasonable cost. Villa can retain Philippe Coutinho for £33 million this summer, but will have to pay him a huge salary if they do so. And, given the current situation, they could find a solution in the 30-year-old, who will be one to watch this summer.