James Rodriguez and the ticking time bomb for Real Madrid and Colombia

The spotlight is once again on James Rodriguez in this summer's transfer window as speculation surrounding the Colombian star's future rumbles on.

This is the third instalment of the saga involving the midfielder, following an unsuccessful stint at Bayern Munich and failed attempts to secure the player last summer from Atletico Madrid and Napoli.

Recent rumours have linked the player with Manchester United, among other Premier League clubs, but even though it seems unlikely there is still a possibility that he will stay at Real Madrid.

His current contract with Los Blancos runs until June 2021 and gives the player some security, but is a ticking time bomb for both Real Madrid and the Colombia national team.

The Real Madrid playmaker could opt to see out his contract at the club, with Zinedine Zidane likely to continue to exclude him from his first-team plans.

This would leave Real Madrid paying the wages of a player who isn't contributing and also losing a potential asset on a free transfer when his contract expires.

James' situation is arguably even more complicated for the Colombia national team, who have aspirations of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

James' talent and the affection felt for him by the Colombian fans have never been in question, but it is extremely risky for the South Americans to rely so heavily on a player who isn't playing when attempting to qualify for a major competition.

If another team comes in and signs him then it will simply be a matter of time until he is sharp again and rekindling his great form of times gone by.

However, the situation is becoming quite pressing for both Real Madrid and Colombia and, if the issue isn't resolved quickly, it could have repercussions for both parties: in an economic sense for one and a footballing sense for the other.