Selling James Rodriguez to Atletico Madrid now would seem like a joke Real Madrid Nacho Labarga gives his opinion

It's only pre-season, but Atletico Madrid's overwhelming 7-3 victory over Real Madrid in New Jersey is going to have its knock-on effects. Los Blancos were poor and their cross-city rivals bent them out of any kind of recognisable shape.

Madrid were completely unrecognisable. They don't seem to know that they have a squad which needed a great revelation but, as John Toshack said, they are left "with the same eleven bastards as before," excluding Eden Hazard.

But even he doesn't have it easy, and it's a tough task to try to lead a squad with most players in their 30s, who have won everything and have a hard time reinventing themselves.

Zinedine Zidane's return promised a sharp turnaround, but the truth is that little changes have been seen. Madrid smell the same, or even worse, than last season and a number of those green shoots that had showed are no longer at the club in Marcos Llorente, Sergio Reguilon and Dani Ceballos. Even Mario Hermoso, who Madrid had on their books, has joined up with Llorente at Los Rojiblancos.

On top of it all, James Rodriguez could become another player to cross the city to the Wanda Metropolitano.

Before Gareth Bale's imminent departure to China, Marco Asensio suffering a bad injury and with Ceballos having set off for London, it doesn't seem logical to let James leave as well.

A lethal goalscorer is also still missing. Karim Benzema has missed enough big chances this pre-season to show that and it's been seen that Madrid, even with him at his best, need more to challenge for major honours.

There aren't many fans who would understand the decision, excluding an irrefutable offer, to sell the Colombian to Atletico of all teams, with them currently being at a higher level than their Estadio Santiago Bernabeu cousins.

James has a lot of qualities that Madrid need, as Zidane continues to try to turn things around.