- Rodríguez has joined the club for the 12th time of his career and will face Chelsea this year.
- Another club was left out after rejecting their demands, including that of 14 bodyguards
- Hear It's all starting! Why Manchester United might have to sell Kobbie Mainoo or Alejandro Garnacho
James Rodríguez's nomadic career will continue in Mexico after the Colombian signed a one-year contract with Club León.
The club confirmed the move with an announcement video in which Rodríguez, 33, plays the role of a Roman gladiator who wins the approval of the crowd and the emperor with a chest-volley combination.
It comes just a week after his contract with LaLiga side Rayo Vallecano was terminated after seven appearances all season. León has paid the Madrid club a symbolic fee of £0.84m, according to The Athletic.
León is the twelfth club of his career, in an eleventh country. In 2023 they won the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the North American equivalent of the Champions League.
During the summer they will play against Chelsea in Atlanta, USA, in the Club World Cup.
According BRANDRodriguez demanded 14 bodyguards and a house to sweeten the deal, as well as a promise to sign “better players,” something his new teammates may not want to hear.
James Rodríguez signed for Mexican club León with a salary of £5 million
He played a Roman gladiator in his announcement video, impressing the emperor with a volley.
The outlet also claims that he is willing to deposit almost £5m over the course of his contract.
At first it seemed that he could address Junior de Barranquilla in their homeland, but they were reportedly unwilling to meet these demands.
Rodríguez has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but struggled to get regular minutes and show his form for Colombia in club play.
After his sensational 2014 World Cup, including one of the greatest goals in the tournament's history, he earned a big-money transfer to Real from Monaco for £62 million.
He made 125 appearances, although only 94 were starts during a six-year spell at Los Blancos, which included a series of loan moves.
However, since a somewhat more consistent two-year loan spell at Bayern Munich between 2017 and 2019, Rodríguez has moved frequently, joining Everton, Qatari side Al-Rayyan, Olympiacos and Sao Paulo, Rayo Vallecano and now to León.
Many of those measures have been short-lived and have seen contracts broken. He was the highest-paid player in Everton's history at around £220,000 a week, scoring six goals in 2020-21 under Carlo Ancelotti.
However, it was in Al-Rayyan where he admitted to feeling “scared” after struggling to adapt to the culture.
Rodríguez joined Real Madrid for £62 million following their impressive 2014 World Cup.
The Colombian spent a season playing for Everton with Carlo Ancelotti in 2020-21.
He left Al-Rayyan in 2022 after admitting he felt “scared” and struggling to adapt to life in Qatar.
He ended his time with Brazilian giants Sao Paulo after just 12 months in 2024.
The Colombian would only be at Olympiacos for seven months before terminating his contract
He is one of the best players in Colombia's history, having been their star of the 2014 World Cup (pictured in 2024).
“Life and culture in Qatar are very difficult, it was a country where it was difficult to adapt,” Rodríguez told Brazilian television channel Globo.
'You know that in football everyone bathes naked, but my teammates told me: 'You can't do it like that.' I was scared.'
He added: “Everyone there eats with their hands, which was difficult for me.” They shared it with me and I said, “No, thank you.” I asked for cutlery and they told me: “No, with your hand” and I replied: “You guys are crazy, I won't eat with my hand.”