James Rodriguez's strange career takes another bizarre twist with MLS move

Tom Weber

• 4 Feb 2026 20:30 GMT
• 7 min read

Analysis

Colombia superstar James Rodriguez is on the verge of completing a shock move to Minnesota United.

On Tuesday, news broke that the 34-year-old was in talks with the Loons over the most unexpected of transfers. Rodriguez, who has made no secret of the fact that he is not particularly fond of cold weather, was seriously considering moving to one of the frostiest places in the US.

Since this initial revelation, things appear to have developed quickly. Shortly after the negotiations became public knowledge, Rodriguez teased the impending move by posting a picture of himself on a private jet with the caption "here we go."

Current ETV

James Rodríguez

AM, M (C)

James Rodríguez

AM, M (C)

€1.4M

ETV Range

€1.1M - €1.7M

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This is, of course, the catchphrase of transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, who uses it whenever a deal is fully agreed. Accordingly, a few hours later, Romano confirmed on his YouTube channel that James was in advanced talks with the Major League Soccer franchise.

Tom Bogert of The Athletic has provided a bit more information on the discussions. Talks appear to be centred around a short-term deal that is only guaranteed to run until the summer, when James will captain Colombia at the World Cup.

Rodriguez to join Minnesota on a short-term deal

Intriguingly, despite his standing in the game, the former Real Madrid star would not occupy a Designated Player (DP) spot. This is good news for Minnesota, as they have already filled all of their DP and U22 Initiative spots.

This means that no player will have to leave or have his contract bought down to make room for James. It also explains why his initial contract only runs until the summer. It gives the club and the player the ability to reevaluate the relationship after an initial trial period.

If James shows that he can still perform at a high level, he could be handed a DP deal, while Minnesota would have the chance to get fair value for one of the players that would have to make way. The latter is virtually impossible now with many European windows closed.

Also, the MLS season is about to kick off on February 21. For the teams competing in the CONCACAF Champions League, the new campaign has already started. It would be very risky for Minnesota to now offload one of their marquee players purely to make way for a superstar who is past his best.

Rodriguez to Minnesota is a bizarre move

Minnesota have one of the best fanbases in the MLS, and James could suit their playing style, but it would still be a very bizarre move if it were to materialise. As mentioned above, Rodriguez is not a fan of the cold.

The Colombian spent two years on loan at Bayern and repeatedly complained about the climate. "It's a city that I really like, I love Munich. The cold is hard but I am often at home, so I feel it more when I'm playing or training," he said during his time in Germany.

In a later interview, he wasn't quite as complimentary: "It’s cold there. The Germans are also cold people, even if I was treated fantastically at FC Bayern.

“There were days when I went to work at 9 am, I turned on the car, and the temperature was -28 degrees Celsius. I said to myself: ‘What am I doing here? Munich is a city that has a lot of quality of life, but I wasn't comfortable.”

It is therefore quite ironic that he appears to be headed to the Twin Cities, which is the metropolitan area in the US with the coldest average temperature.

However, it is also an interesting choice due to the ongoing political tension. Minnesota midfielder Joaquin Pereyra recently admitted that the club's foreign players are scared to go out in public for fear of being confronted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Two citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, have been killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks, sparking protests and widespread condemnation. Minnesota United players are living in fear, according to Pereyra.

"People are scared. We are, too,” Pereyra told the Pioneer Press. “Fewer and fewer people want to be out on the streets because of what might happen to them."

Club captain and New Zealand international Michael Boxall described the situation as "a failure of leadership at so many levels. He added: “Obviously, federally, we’ve got a bunch of people here who aren’t capable of doing what they are meant to do.

"They have been sent to what is now a high-stress environment and are not capable of doing their job properly. No one should be dead for just expressing their thoughts or peaceful protesting. There are instances with [Mayor Jacob Frey] as well, [who] seems to incite violence."

Rodriguez's latest career twist

A move to MLS would mark the latest twist in Rodriguez's strange career. Once one of the most recognisable players in football, he has struggled to live up to his sky-high potential.

Rodriguez was signed by Real Madrid from Monaco on the back of an outstanding 2014 World Cup, but he never really seemed to find a home in the Spanish capital, nor anywhere else.

After his two years on loan at Bayern, he unexpectedly joined Everton on a free transfer in 2020 to reunite with Carlo Ancelotti, who had brought him to both Real Madrid and the Munich outfit.

His time on Merseyside was impressive but brief. After a year, he followed Ancelotti out the door and moved to Qatari side Al-Rayyan for €8m. The following year, he joined Greek giants Olympiacos on a free transfer.

His contract was torn up before the 2022/23 season ended, and he moved to Brazilian side Sao Paulo after a few months as a free agent. He lasted just over a year because he was given the chance to return to Europe in the summer of 2024.

Having been the best player at the 2024 Copa America, Rodriguez moved back to LaLiga with Rayo Vallecano. However, this stint also proved short-lived. He joined Club Leon in Mexico on a free transfer in January 2025, but his contract wasn't extended heading into 2026.

Minnesota would be his 12th club since leaving his native Colombia in 2008.

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