Chelsea Transfer News: Marco Reus Agent Reportedly Contacted, Gareth Bale Latest

Chelsea have reportedly contacted Marco Reus' agent in an attempt to firmly establish their interest in the Borussia Dortmund star.

Jose Mourinho is set to challenge Real Madrid for the German's signature, according to Jose Felix Diaz of Marca: 

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As far as Marca have been able to ascertain, the former Real Madrid coach has approached Reus' agent, Volker Struth, to express Chelsea's interest in having the German in their ranks. Mourinho likes Reus, as does Roman Abramovich.

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Diaz suggested "Mourinho's team look to be the front-runners at this point in the proceedings," providing Chelsea fans with real hope of landing the rapid forward. Reus' release clause makes him available for the minimal fee of £20 million in the summer, a figure which only needs to be triggered for clubs to speak with him, according to Bild (h/t Charles Perrin of the Express).

Reus recently admitted he isn't thinking about a possible move, as reported by Reuters (h/t The Guardian):

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At the moment there are a lot of people talking about my future. There is a lot of speculation and a lot is being written. So I would like to take this opportunity to say that other people are thinking more about my future than me.

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Such a situation leaves Reus with the opportunity of receiving mega wages. Mourinho has worked diligently to ensure Chelsea steer clear of UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules since returning to the club and has the room to lure a player of Reus' stature.

This was confirmed in the Blues' recent financial report, which saw a profit of £18.4 million announced by the club's official website. Chelsea only have to break even under UEFA's guidelines and could reasonably facilitate Reus if a first-team player departs.

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Dortmund have reportedly lined up Andre Schurrle as a potential replacement for Reus, per German newspaper Bild (h/t Charlie Skillen of the Mail Online).

According to another Perrin report from the Express, Schurrle is said to earn £70,000 each week, a sum which could be used to sweeten Reus' potential personal terms. Chelsea could even make money on Schurrle if a swap deal doesn't go ahead and would easily receive more than the £18 million spent on him last year.

Ridding the Blues of such a player could also help facilitate an unlikely "£115 million double swoop" for Reus and Madrid's Gareth Bale, as reported by Alex Harris of the Daily Star. Unlikely as such financial investment appears for the Blues, it isn't beyond Mourinho and Roman Abramovich to start preparing for future bids.

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Reus has scored four and assisted three across eight performances in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season, per WhoScored.com. His versatility would make him a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge and endear him to a manager who provides responsibility in exchange for hard work.

Although Chelsea are in excellent shape to win the Premier League, a team consisting of Reus, Eden Hazard, Oscar, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas would highlight the west Londoners as candidates to triumph in Europe.

He would add real incision and extra creativity, while injecting tempo into the side's play, as highlighted below:

Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc recently suggested the club faces their "most difficult time in years" after a poor start to the season. This would be emphasised if Reus exits cheaply, leaving Dortmund with little hope of challenging Bayern Munich across the coming seasons.

Chelsea or Madrid, however, would go from strength-to-strength with the 25-year-old in their side.