Jose Mourinho must win Europa League for Manchester United to land James Rodriguez

Manchester United will have to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League if they want to land Colombia international star James Rodriguez, according to Don Balon.

The Premier League side, who lost 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to lie seven points adrift of the top-flight’s top four places, have been continuously linked with a mega money move for the Real Madrid midfielder this summer.

The 25-year-old, who has 54 international caps for his country, has scored 11 goals and provided 13 assists in 32 appearances in all competitions for the La Liga leaders so far this season.

James Rodriguez (L).

Rodriguez, who arrived at the Bernabeu from AS Monaco following his impressive performances at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals, has netted 36 goals in 110 games for Real overall since the summer of 2014.

Although the Colombian ace is keen on a switch to Old Trafford, the report suggests boss Jose Mourinho will have to provide Rodriguez with Champions League football next campaign, meaning The Red Devils must defeat Ajax in the UEFA Europa League final later this month to qualify for the European elite competition.