Chelsea would probably like to keep communication with Real Madrid at an absolute minimum this summer.
Rumours have long linked Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois with moves to the Spanish capital.
If the Blues do allow either player to leave, it’s likely they’ll want James Rodriguez in return – but the Mirror have it that they aren’t the only club who are monitoring the Colombian.
Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City are all thought to be keen on the 25-year-old, who seems to have given up trying to impress Zinedine Zidane.
Madrid’s congested attack has made it very difficult for the star of the 2014 World Cup to make an impact.
The source claims that Chelsea initially tried to move for him in January, but he wanted to stay put because he still thought he could turn his Real career around.
Both the Colombian and Isco have seen their game time limited, though Zidane’s comments on the latter suggest he’ll be keeping hold of the playmaker.
“Isco? There will be a big game every three days,” Zizou told reporters.
“But to win a League, a Champions League, all the players are important. After that, when Isco plays, like the good lad that he is, he does well.
“There’s 24 of us and all of them are important. I want him to renew his contract, he’s an important player.
“He wants to be here, to play here. I’m happy for his performance, not only for his goal but also for his performance between the lines so the others could play.”
That has to cast even more doubt upon Rodriguez’s future.
There’s no displacing Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Gareth Bale, but even Isco now seems to be ahead of him in the pecking order.
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