James Rodriguez it was assumed would make a January exit after controversial comments right after the Club World Cup win, but coach Zinedine Zidane and the player himself have decided to move on and forget it ever happened for the sake of the team.
It is a new year, and thus a new Rodriguez, as he'll look to secure more minutes from here to the end of the season, rejuvenated after a chat with the coach during one of the year's initial training sessions.
The French boss didn't promise more minutes, but did insist that he does see a role for the Colombian attacking midfielder within his team and expressed his desire to see him stay.
Without forgiving the outburst, Zizou did prove understanding of Rodriguez's frustration and decided it'd be best for the team to keep the midfielder happy.
In their chat, ZIdane asked that Rodriguez do more and work harder, and while he acknowledges his quality, he made clear that that alone isn't enough for his situation to change.
The scenario surrounding the 25-year-old had been on Zidane's mind all Christmas break, and the first thing the coach did upon returning to training was seek out Rodriguez and insist to the press that nothing was up.
A new year ahead, 2017 begins with several tough fixtures which will require the entire squad if Real Madrid are to remain the team to beat.
Zidane wants James Rodriguez to be a part of it.