Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Ruben Neves and Eden Hazard Rumours

Chelsea could lose star attraction Eden Hazard to La Liga giants Real Madrid, while manager Jose Mourinho is scouting Porto's promising teenager Ruben Neves.

As Chelsea prepare to possibly lose a current star, Mourinho is reportedly getting ready to recruit one for the future. He's apparently keen on raiding old club Porto for 18-year-old defensive midfielder Neves, according to Daily Star Sunday's Tony Stenson.

PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/Getty Images

He claimed Chelsea will use their upcoming UEFA Champions League Group G clash with Porto to run the rule over the teenage prospect. Stenson stated this will merely be an extension of recent scouting work the Stamford Bridge club has undertaken to keep tabs on Neves.

The west London club reportedly had representatives at Porto's league encounter with Benfica: "Porto list names of visiting scouts and Chelsea's name was on the list, alongside Real Madrid."

Neves, whom Stenson said is compared favourably to Joao Moutinho, wouldn't have an obvious place at Chelsea. Mourinho is also usually reticent to recruit young players, particularly for prominent roles in the team.

Yet this season, he has shown impatience with some established figures, including holding player Nemanja Matic. Mourinho has even been inclined to hand game time to 19-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

But signing Neves won't be easy. Portuguese newspaper A Bola (h/t Daily Express reporter James Cambridge) recently claimed he'll cost £29 million. That's a hefty price tag for a teenager, even in today's market.

Madrid Want "Galactico" Hazard

Belgian wing wizard Hazard has emerged as a prime target for Los Blancos, according to Sunday Times reporter Duncan Castles.

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Castles stated Hazard and Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho are atop Madrid's wish list. But Castles highlighted Hazard as the target president Florentino Perez is most likely to make a big push for.

Apparently, Perez sees Hazard as one of football's so-called "galacticos." Interestingly, Castles also suggested Perez won't be shy about moving on some marquee names to make room for the new apple of his eye:

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Perez has twice sanctioned world-record transfer fees in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale from England to La Liga and will not baulk at spending heavily to secure Hazard. Should he elect to take it, he also has the option of selling Ronaldo to Paris Saint-Germain for as much as £110m or Bale to Manchester United for a similar fee.

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The question now becomes, is Hazard worth the effort? Normally, Chelsea fans would likely answer with a resounding yes.

But like most of manager Jose Mourinho's squad, Hazard has made a tame start to the new season. As WhoScored.com noted, the goals have certainly dried up for the 24-year-old:

Of course, if Chelsea did sanction any sale, Hazard would have the chance to reunite with Los Merengues' gaffer Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard led Hazard and Chelsea to the UEFA Europa League trophy in 2013, during which Hazard showed major improvement.

But that's taking several steps forward too early. Despite his current struggles, Chelsea are unlikely to welcome the sale of their chief attacking inspiration.

Perez won't find it easy to force the Premier League club backed by Roman Abramovich's billions into a sale. Of course, he may even go cool on the idea if Hazard doesn't revive his game soon.

If he adds Neves, Mourinho could be safeguarding Chelsea's future for a rare time in his career. You'd be smart not to bet on it, though.

Yet it's tricky ruling out any developments in Hazard's situation. Chelsea are unlikely to want to sell. But once Los Blancos declare their interest, all bets are usually off.

If this rumour builds, it's likely the precursor to the biggest transfer saga of next summer.