Chelsea Transfer News: Eden Hazard Cut-Price Sale, James Rodriguez Swap Rumours

Chelsea will reportedly make star winger Eden Hazard available for just £50 million during the summer transfer window, while a swap with Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez is also a possibility for the Blues.

According to Phil Cadden of the Sun, “two top agents” have informed Europe's elite clubs the Belgium international will be up for sale. 

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Per the report, incoming Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has been told Hazard played a role in the sacking of former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, something the Italian will not stand for. Real and Paris Saint-Germain are mentioned as possible destinations.

The 25-year-old has commented on possible moves to both clubs during the 2015-16 campaign. Per Le Parisien (h/t Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star), he said it would be “hard to say no” to the Ligue 1 champions.

In the same interview, he expressed his admiration for Real manager Zinedine Zidane, per ESPN FC's Liam Twomey:

"

Of course, [Madrid coach] Zinedine Zidane gets you interested. He was my idol when he was a player...and he's been saying good things about me for a long time.

In any case, I want to work with the best managers in the world. Beyond that, I don't know if Zidane is in that category yet. He's only been training Real since the start of January.

"

Those are not the type of comments fans want to hear from a player who has continuously been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge and hasn't produced all season long. Per WhoScored.com, he has scored just two goals across all competitions, with both coming in the FA Cup.

There's no denying Hazard's obvious talent―he won last year's PFA Player of the Year's award for a reason―but the Belgium international has looked disinterested throughout the 2015-16 campaign.

His lack of scoring touch has become a recurring joke, and when winter-signing Alexandre Pato netted during his Chelsea debut, bet365 couldn't help itself:

Conte built a remarkable reputation at Juventus for getting the best out of players who underperformed before they moved to Turin, and his work with Carlos Tevez during his final year with the Bianconeri was nothing short of spectacular.

But the Italian is a demanding coach who wants his players to show passion for the shirt and work until they can't take another step―something Tevez was willing to do with Juventus, and Hazard hasn't done all season long with the Blues.

Per Cadden, the Blues were previously believed to want £80 million for their star winger, but given his poor form this season, £50 million would now be enough to secure his services.

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Real have their own underperforming star, however, and a possible swap deal with Rodriguez would be another option. The Colombia international has barely featured in the last few weeks and is falling down the Real pecking order fast, amid links with Manchester United, per Liam Corless of the Daily Mirror.

Like Hazard, Rodriguez has mainly made headlines for all the wrong reasons this season. Per Marco Ruiz of AS, he was involved in a high-speed chase with the police in January, and his weight has been a question mark for most of the campaign, per Fernando Baquero of Sport.

On the pitch, his performances have been inconsistent, although he has produced the occasional moment of magic, as you can see in the video below:

The 24-year-old's lack of playing time in recent weeks is a strong indication Zidane has no interest working with him in the future, and like Hazard, Rodriguez will be a popular target for other clubs this summer. His potential remains sky-high, and perhaps a change of scenery or a different kind of manager is all it takes to unlock it.

If Conte doesn't think Hazard fits what he looks for in a player, it's hard to see how the Colombia international would be any different.

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