Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Gareth Bale and Raphael Varane Rumours

Chelsea's ambitious attempt to sign Real Madrid stars Gareth Bale and Raphael Varane has been "knocked back" by the Spanish club, as reported by Carl Long of The Sun.

Long suggested the Blues were planning to use money received from the Premier League's television rights deal to spend a total of £100 million on the duo. This number doesn't seem anywhere near enough—Bale alone cost £85 million in 2013—particularly as Jose Mourinho's relationship with his former club is likely to remain less than amicable.

This story has quickly spread across the English press, with the Mirror suggesting Madrid president Florentino Perez "rebuffed" the west London side's approach. It's unlikely Bale and Varane will feel completely satisfied at Madrid, so the pair's names are destined to continue appearing in the gossip columns throughout the summer.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

Bale's season has been interspersed with annoyances. His failure to set Cristiano Ronaldo up with an open goal in January provided him with the label of "ball hog," and he's also been jeered by his own supporters. Niggling injuries have seen others come in and perform well—such as Isco earlier in the season—forcing many to consider whether Bale is the world-record asset Madrid need.

The 25-year-old has scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 36 appearances across La Liga and the Champions League this season, per WhoScored.com. He is destined to fall short of last year's 21 strikes and 16 assists, accumulated across a combined total of 39 matches.

OptaJoe provided an interesting morsel:

B/R UK's Garry Hayes believes Bale would take Chelsea to the next level:

Varane has performed admirably when called upon, as highlighted during the recent Champions League win over Atletico Madrid. However, the 21-year-old's 17 La Liga starts have largely been down to Pepe and Sergio Ramos' injuries, as he's still not guaranteed a place in Carlo Ancelotti's first-team.

Mourinho admires Varane, previously labelling him the "best young central defender in the world," per Yahoo (h/t Sky Sports).

With Kurt Zouma coming through at Stamford Bridge, thoughts of his potential partnership with Varane—which we'll likely see on the international stage for France—may dictate Mourinho's thinking. Although John Terry recently signed a new one-year deal, a long-term replacement will be needed soon.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Varane has the natural attributes to excel in any team. He is powerful, quick and dominant in the air. The youngster also uses his frame to good effect, subtly steering the ball away from danger with his positioning.

Madrid have one of the world's best future centre-backs on their hands, but he needs playing time to continue developing.

Mourinho was the man who signed Varane to the Spanish side, so his thoughts on the player are obvious. Landing either him or Bale would rank among the manager's best-ever signings and signal Chelsea are ready to dominate the Premier League for years to come.