Arsenal have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Colombia star James Rodriguez after Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac broke his silence on rumours linking him with an exit.
The 27-year-old is on a season-long loan at the Allianz Arena from parent club Real Madrid but has struggled to make the desired impact in the Bundesliga.
It has led to rumours that Arsenal could land a cut-price chance to bring him in for the rest of the season, as long as they pay the remaining £3m on his loan fee.
But Kovac was asked about rumours linking Rodriguez with an early exit ahead of Bayern’s clash with Hoffenheim and stated the player wants to stay in Germany.
“He wants to stay with FC Bayern, as he once said during a fan club visit, he is highly motivated and focused,” Kovac said.
“He can always help us with his quality.”
It appears Arsenal may struggle to convince the German side to part with Rodriguez despite his underwhelming form over the first half of the campaign.
Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic was also asked about his future earlier this week and refused to rule out a permanent switch, insisting they’ll monitor the situation over the remainder of the campaign.
“We will look at the second half of the season and we will draw the right conclusions,” he said.
“This is not Bayern’s style,” he added, when asked if they could make a purchase before selling on for an immediate profit.
“If we decide to sign a player, then he also remains a part of Bayern.”
source: Mirror