Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on James Rodriguez and Mario Mandzukic Rumours

Chelsea have reportedly bid £60 million for Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez after giving up their pursuit of Everton striker Romelu Lukaku.

That’s according to Neil Fissler of the Sunday Express, who has noted that head coach Antonio Conte is keen to add more options in the attacking third. It’s suggested while there is an interest in Lukaku, he will “pledge his future to Everton despite telling friends that he had set his heart on a return to west London.”

Fissler continued, noting that Rodriguez is now a target for the Blues, with Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane happy to see the Colombia international depart.

Rodriguez signed for Real Madrid following his stunning showings at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and has produced plenty of remarkable moments in the iconic all-white jersey. Here are some of the best ones:

The midfielder has fallen out of favour under Zidane, though. In the Frenchman’s 4-3-3 system for the key games, there was no place for Rodriguez last season.

Zidane has instilled more pragmatism and defensive discipline into Real’s game, areas in which the former AS Monaco man falls a long way short.

What he can provide in a setup better tailored to his talents is bags of creative talent. As these numbers from WhoScored.com show, even though he’s been on the periphery under Zidane, Rodriguez makes an impact when on the pitch:

For Chelsea it’d be a fascinating purchase. Like Zidane, Conte demands that all his players contribute in both an attacking and defensive sense, meaning Rodriguez would still have to add some steel to his skill set.

However, there’d be no Cristian Ronaldo or Gareth Bale at Stamford Bridge. If the Colombian was stationed as the fulcrum of the Blues attack and given assurances about his spot in the team every week, perhaps he’d be more willing to put in the hard yards in addition to creating chances.

Blues Linked with Mario Mandzukic

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According to John Richardson of the Sunday Mirror, Chelsea will go after Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic following their Lukaku disappointment.

It’s suggested that Conte wants another option up top, and the Croatia international would cost around £25 million. Lukaku was reportedly valued at £75 million by the Toffees.

Mandzukic has only been at Juventus for one season having moved from Atletico Madrid last summer. He was a key member of their title-winning team last term, although the big-money signing of Gonzalo Higuain is likely to limit the 30-year-old’s playing time this season.

The former Bayern Munich forward has always looked like a striker who would thrive in English football. Here is what Chelsea would be getting for their money should they spend on Mandzukic:

He’s a player who would suit Conte’s approach. Mandzukic works hard for the team, can follow detailed tactical instructions and is a superb focal point to have at the point of the attack. When the ball drops in the box he’s a fine finisher, too, not to mention a menace for defenders to deal with in the air.

These numbers from OptaPaolo sum up just how important he’s become for Juventus in little over a year:

With Higuain and Paulo Dybala as competition, Mandzukic is going to have to turn in some extraordinary performances to stay as a first-team regular in Turin. 

That may make any offer from Chelsea appealing, where minutes would be a lot easier to come by. Of course, Diego Costa and Michy Batshuayi would provide stiff competition for the starting spots up top for the Blues. But neither are at quite the same standard as the illustrious Juventus duo.