Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 10y

James joins Monaco for preseason

James Rodriguez will join Monaco's preseason tour of South and North America despite being tipped to move to Real Madrid, last season's Ligue 1 runners-up have confirmed.

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Rodriguez, 23, is currently on holiday after helping Colombia impress at the World Cup where his own performances have -- according to Spanish media -- prompted Madrid to make him one of their top priorities for the summer transfer window.

Though talks have reportedly already taken place between the two clubs, Rodriguez, who only joined Monaco from Porto for an estimated 45 million euros last summer, is scheduled to team up with Leonardo Jardim's squad on July 21, and could feature in their friendly against Colombian outfit Atletico Nactional in Miami two days later.

The principality club will be without Emmanuel Riviere, 24, after he completed his move to Newcastle United on Wednesday for an estimated eight million euros.

The switch represented excellent business for the Ligue 1 side who purchased Riviere from Toulouse in January 2013 for only half the sum they received from Newcastle for the former Saint-Etienne prodigy.

"AS Monaco would like to thank Emmanuel Riviere for everything he brought to the club, notably his 17 goals in 50 matches," a statement on the club's website read. "AS Monaco wishes Manu a lot of success in the rest of his career."

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