When James Rodriguez was officially announced as a Real Madrid player earlier this season, it became a foregone conclusion that Angel Di Maria would be the man on his way out. But recent comments from Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti indicate that Di Maria could remain this season.

"He is a Real Madrid player. He will arrive (at training) on Aug. 5," Ancelotti said, according to ESPNFC. "With the signings of Rodriguez and Kroos there is more competition in the centre of the pitch, but that's how it is at the big clubs. Competition is energy and last season we had problems in the final part of the season."

Di Maria has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and has often been a transfer target out of Madrid since last summer. A year ago, many expected him to leave the Santiago Bernabeu after the team's acquisition of Gareth Bale. He was supposed to leave in the summer, but Ancelotti himself opted for selling Mesut Ozil and keeping the Argentinean playmaker.

Throughout the early part of the season, Di Maria was forced to make way for Bale on the wings, and his constant benchings also created buzz about a transfer out of Spain's capital. But Ancelotti eventually found a spot for him in the midfield alongside Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric.

Fast-forward to this summer, and things are a bit more clustered. Toni Kroos and Rodriguez will be added to a competitive stable of midfielders that include Isco, Alonso, Modric, Sami Khedira (whose injury last season helped Ancelotti settle his midfield overload), Asier Illarramendi and Di Maria. That is essentially eight players vying for three spots.

Rodriguez or Isco could play as false nines instead of Karim Benzema, but that hardly solves the problem and disrupts the chemistry of the BBC that included Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

Moreover, Florentino Perez did not pay upward of $100 million for Rodriguez to see him sit on the bench. It could cause some issues between club president and Ancelotti. But the coach has always talked about balance, and with Di Maria remaining, he has already found it.

If Di Maria remains, he would have to be the first choice in the midfield alongside Modric. But his presence bodes poorly for 32-year-old Xabi Alonso. The holding midfielder is the man to keep the entire puzzle together, but he is past his best and will likely wind up on the bench.

Khedira should get the start as the natural holder, but Ancelotti might opt for Kroos in this spot as the German can sit deeper (his defending remains a huge question mark of course).

That would leave Rodriguez and Isco on the bench and likely force a move out of the latter. The Spaniard is still young (only 22) and is expected to be one of the shining lights of Spanish soccer in coming years. But he has struggled to make his mark at Madrid, and the team could choose to get rid of him altogether or loan him out.

Alvaro Morata has already been sold to Juventus this summer, and Casemiro, another young talent, was loaned out to Porto. The team has buyback clauses on both, but these moves illustrate Madrid's willingness to move their young talent to fit in their stars.

Isco could also follow this pattern, though it hardly makes sense. He was acquired from Malaga a year ago and patience is required. It might be best to loan him out to a team that will give him first-team playing time.

Di Maria remaining here simply adds another player that will take a spot away from Isco. The same needs to be done with Illarramendi, but both players need to be retained in some manner.

This is mainly contingent on Di Maria sticking around. It is still likely the team moves him, however. Last year, Ancelotti waited until the last day to sell Ozil to Arsenal. That is what is likely to happen, especially with Madrid needing to recover funds from its major purchase of Rodriguez.