Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Raphael Varane and Eden Hazard

Chelsea have been informed they can sign Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane if they pay the £20 million asking price set by Real Madrid.

Anthony Chapman from the Daily Express says the Blues can add Varane to their squad if they match Los Blancos' valuation, according to reports from Spain.

But manager Jose Mourinho will face stiff competition for the centre-back's signature, with Manchester United also in the hunt, per Chapman.

United and Chelsea are both in a position to give Varane more responsibility than he currently has in the Spanish capital, and it now seems the Galacticos are prepared to let the Frenchman go.

Varane plied his trade for Mourinho at Madrid during the Special One's reign in Spain, but with Gary Cahill and John Terry in good form, would the potential new signing be first choice?

United's defensive frailties have been widely documented and manager Louis van Gaal would surely love the burgeoning talent of Varane at his disposal. 

Varane has only managed four starts in La Liga for the defending Champions League winners this term, per WhoScored.com, amassing just 440 minutes of domestic playing time under his belt.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

He has struggled to convince manager Carlo Ancelotti to give him more first-team starts in recent times, though the defender has featured heavily for Madrid during the Champions League group stages.

In other news, Chelsea fans will be pleased to hear Mourinho believes star player Eden Hazard will be staying with the club despite not signing a new deal yet.

Matt McGeehan of the Press Association (via the Daily Mail) quotes the Portuguese boss speaking about his attacker, claiming Hazard "loves" playing in west London: "I think he loves it here. I think so. I think, I hope (he will stay)."

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Mourinho had recently spoken about the rough treatment Hazard receives on English football pitches, prompting him to claim that "maybe one day we won't have Eden Hazard," per McGeehan.

And Mourinho had also hinted and joked to the BBC's Jacqui Oatley on Sunday that he was leaving Hazard out of his side to protect him from further aggressive behaviour:

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

But the Chelsea coach has moved to change the negative focus on the player's future and reassure the fanbase that Hazard will not be looking for a home elsewhere.

Mourinho has taken badly to talk that his Chelsea team provoke reactions on the pitch, and his defensive stance has seen him speak about Hazard to deflect the claims.

But it seems that it is only a matter of time before owner Roman Abramovich gets the Belgium international to sign a new deal and pledge his future to the Premier League leaders.

However, if he does not, there will be a worldwide scrap for his signature with Hazard now widely regarded as the Lionel Messi of English football.

He is a diminutive talent who would fit into any side in the world, and it is important Chelsea hold on to the player if they have long-term ambitions to win silverware.