Chelsea Transfer News; Latest Ruben Neves, James Rodriguez Rumours

FC Porto youngster and reported Chelsea target Ruben Neves has pledged his future to his current club, dealing a big blow to the Blues' hopes of landing him in the upcoming January transfer window.

As reported by Tom Dutton of the London Evening Standard, the talented midfielder even believes he could finish his career with the Dragons:

"

Yes, it's possible that I will end my career at FC Porto.

I'm happy at the club and I'm focused on improving every day to reach my goals, which include winning titles with FC Porto, my favourite club.

When you come from younger teams, and you reach the main squad, there are always difficulties you have to deal with, like the intensity, the maturity, and the experience of the players.

"

The 18-year-old is enjoying a phenomenal campaign in Portugal, and scouts have been drawn to the Estadio do Dragao as a result. He even wore the captain's armband for a spell this season, a testament to his incredible talent.

Neves is a playmaking midfielder with tremendous passing range and vision, but he's also not afraid to get his hands dirty and help out on the defensive side of the ball. Here's a look at what he's been up to for Porto:

He reportedly has a £29 million release clause, but such a clause becomes useless if the player has no intention of leaving. So far, Neves has yet to give any signal he could be open to foreign adventure anytime soon.

For all of his talent, Neves is still just a teenager, and there's plenty left to learn for him. Most scouts and pundits would likely applaud his decision to stay with Porto for now, although fans of the Blues might feel differently.

Porto have a tendency to only sell their top stars when their value is high―think of Jackson Martinez, James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao―and are shrewd negotiators in the transfer market. In the case of Neves, his long-term potential is so obvious, the odds of the Dragons moving him now are virtually nonexistent.

Things can change quickly in football, but for now, it seems highly unlikely Neves will be leaving Porto anytime soon.

Blues Linked With James Rodriguez

CRISTINA QUICLER/Getty Images

Fichajes.net (h/t Daily Express' Liam Spence) claims Real Madrid star James Rodriguez is frustrated playing under Rafa Benitez, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all keeping a close eye on the situation.

The report cites a lack of playing time as his main reason for frustration, which is curious, to say the least, as he has been a regular starter for Los Blancos since returning from injury in November.

But while playing time clearly isn't the issue, the relationship between Rodriguez and Benitez is. As shared by ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, the manager isn't a big fan of his Colombian star, something best illustrated by some of his post-match press conferences:

Rodriguez hasn't been able to show Benitez his true value, having missed much of the season through injury. He's still working his way back to form, and with Los Blancos struggling―they've lost three of their last five La Liga matches, per WhoScored.com―Benitez can't afford to be overly patient.

The notion the 24-year-old could be on his way out of the club seems far-fetched, however. He remains one of the top young players in the world and a key component of the team, both on and off the pitch. As one of South America's most marketable players, he holds value well beyond what he brings to the pitch.

And as you can see in this video, he brings plenty:

Real president Florentino Perez will sack Benitez before he even considers selling one of his best young players, and a lack of consistent results means the manager could already be on the brink.

Links like this will keep popping up as long as Real's fortunes don't improve, but similar to the situation with Neves, Rodriguez is highly unlikely to leave the club.

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