Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted that the club are still trying to sign Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez despite Atletico Madrid reportedly leading the race.

The 2014 World Cup Golden Ball winner is practically without a club, with Real Madrid looking to offload him and Bayern Munich refusing to activate the purchase option at the end of his loan spell.

However, he has still managed to attract interest from top clubs in Atletico and Napoli. It is believed that the latter are in pole position to acquire his services.

Ancelotti has coached Rodriguez at Madrid and Bayern and is expected to push hard to sign the player he still rates highly.

“We’re still talking for James, a player that I really like. I’m very attached to James, I rate him very highly and he can certainly improve our team,” he told TV Luna.

“He doesn’t need to re-announce himself, he’s a great player. But he’s not the only player we’re openly negotiating for. We’re assessing many players.”