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, after leaving Sao Paulo in Brazil. However, the former Real Madrid star did not have the desired impact at Vallecas.
There was no shortage of people excited about his arrival, but Rodriguez failed to convince manager Inigo Perez of his worth, with Oscar Trejo and Isi Palazon enjoying game time ahead of him. Marco say that Rayo and Rodriguez have agreed to terminate their contract, with the Colombia star renouncing the “promotional part” of his contract, which was worth around 1.2 million euros. His status changed after an interview with the same outlet, when he asked about the level of his teammates and the judgment of his manager, at this point the club moved to end his time.
Rodriguez has provided 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 for Perez to use him more often before the relationship worsened.
