Rumors are out that Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has urged Real Madrid outcast James Rodriguez to leave his club soon to finally "showcase his talent" and true potential.

Messi, considered as one of the best footballers in the world today with Rodriguez's Real teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, said to have met with the Colombia team captain and told him to "find a new club to get regular football and prove to the world again he can justify a huge transfer fee", according to The Sun.

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The meeting reportedly took place after the most recent El Clásico in La Liga at the Camp Nou last Saturday, which ended in a 1-1 draw between the league's top two squads and was attended by almost 100,000 fans.

Rodriguez, 25, was once again benched during the historic game as Real head coach Zinedine Zidane preferred 22-year-old Mateo Kovacic to start in one of the midfield positions.

Zidane even chose Real Madrid B player Mariano Diaz as Kovacic's in-game substitute over the Colombia international, which left Rodriguez playing zero minutes in one of the most important games of the club this season.

Rodriguez has made only 13 appearances for Zidane in all competitions so far this season, scoring a dismal two goals. He played in just seven of the team's 14 games in the Spanish top flight this term.

Caught Offside noted that it "does make sense for him (Rodriguez) to move on and find a club willing to give him a prominent role as he has certainly shown through his career that he is more than capable of shining on the biggest stages".

Cash-rich English Premier League club Manchester United is said to be interested in buying Rodriguez should Real makes him available for sale in January.

Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho has long been an admirer of Rodriguez and there were rumors that the Portuguese mentor wants to offer Frenchman Anthony Martial to the Spanish capital city side in a direct-swap deal.

TagsFootball News & Rumors, Football News & Rumors 2016, lionel messi, james rodriguez, real madrid, FC Barcelona