Real signs Rodriguez from Monaco in purported 71 mln-pound deal

Spanish League giants Real Madrid has reportedly signed Colombian forward James Rodriguez from Monaco for a fee that could reach 71 million pounds.

Rodriguez, who is the top scorer in the FIFA 2014 World Cup and won the Golden boot with six goals in five matches in Brazil, has signed a six-year deal with Real.

Real President Florentino Perez said that Rodriguez played brilliantly and his goals confirmed his status as one of the best players at the World Cup, The BBC reported.

Rodriguez's move is reportedly the fourth most expensive transfer of all time after those of new teammates Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Luis Suarez.

The striker said that he is very happy, as this is a dream come true, and added that he hopes to make people very happy and win a lot of titles with Real.

The former Porto forward won the Portuguese league three years in a row before joining Monaco last season, where he scored nine goals in 34 Ligue 1 games.

Monaco vice-chairman Vadim Vasilyev said that his club had no plans to sell Rodriguez, but were proud to be part of one of the most significant transfers in football history.

Rodriguez's signing comes less than a week after Real signed German World Cup winner Toni Kroos, who moved from Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee, the report added.