Madrid: Colombia’s World Cup revelation James Rodriguez was unveiled as Real Madrid’s latest headline signing in front of tens of thousands of fans at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night.
Rodriguez, the top-scorer at the World Cup in Brazil, has moved to the European champions from Monaco on a six-season contract.
Spanish media said Real paid about €80 million (Dh396 million) for the 23-year-old playmaker, which if correct would make him the fifth most expensive player in history after Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Luis Suarez.
“It’s a lot of pressure to be here but I’m ready to take it on,” said Colombia’s poster boy, looking relaxed and smiling and sporting Real’s No. 10 shirt — last worn by Mesut Ozil.
“My goal here is to always win, I don’t like losing,” he added.
“I’m thrilled to be here, it’s a dream come true, I hope to give a lot of pleasure,” he told a huge crowd estimated at about 40,000, including a significant number of Colombians.
“I think Colombia will now be a fan of this great club,” he added.
Monaco said in a statement that it had not wanted to sell Rodriguez but that it was “proud to have carried out one of the biggest transfers in football history”.
Rodriguez’s six goals for his country at the World Cup won him the Golden Boot award. A spectacular volley against Uruguay went down as one of the best goals of any World Cup.
Before being unveiled he had posted on Twitter: “The dream already is REAL. Happy to be part of the best club in the world”.
He is Real’s second major signing in five days as they prepare for a new season of confrontation against eternal rivals Barcelona.
German midfielder Toni Kroos moved from Bayern Munich on Thursday, just days after the 24-year-old helped Germany win the World Cup.
Real have also been linked with a move for Keylor Navas, the goalkeeper whose heroics helped Costa Rica reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Navas plays with Levante in the Spanish first division.
