Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos is reportedly on the transfer shortlist of Italian champions Juventus.

According to Tuttosport (h/t Marca), the Bianconeri are ready to splash big money for the second successive summer at the end of the current campaign. With that in mind, Juve are said to be targeting Kroos, Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic and Paris Saint-Germain star Marco Verratti, with the latter being the club's top priority.

As things stand, it's extremely difficult to see Madrid entertaining any offers for Kroos, as he's a key player at the heart of the team's midfield. Here's a glimpse at what he can offer:

Indeed, since joining Los Blancos in 2014, Kroos has formed a tremendous bond with Luka Modric at the hub of the Madrid side.

While Modric elegantly links the play together and disrupts the flow of opposition attacks, Kroos is the conductor of this Madrid machine. His passing range is unrivalled in world football, with the 26-year-old able to scurry forward and thread incisive balls into the feet of forwards or manage a contest from a deeper berth.

With Casemiro shielding Modric and Kroos, Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has found a superb balance in midfield. Per OptaJose, the former Bayern Munich star is the key creative man in this facet of the side:

Juventus have proved they possess the capabilities to lure elite players to the club, with Gonzalo Higuain joining from Napoli ahead of 2016-17. However, prising star men from a team like Madrid is an entirely different prospect.

Kroos looks content with life in the Spanish capital, too. His Los Blancos career is already trophy-laden, and with Zidane at the helm, a bright future seems to be on the horizon. At the moment, it's difficult to see why the Germany international would want to play his football anywhere else.

James Rodriguez Latest

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According to Simon Jones of MailOnline, Chelsea are holding off making an offer for Real Madrid's out-of-favour playmaker James Rodriguez.

The report suggested the Colombia international is "desperate to escape the Santiago Bernabeu and play regular football." However, it added that Los Blancos would prefer to move Rodriguez on in the summer rather than during the midseason window.

Juventus are also said to be interested in signing the 25-year-old, although they are concerned they would have to pay a "distorted" fee if they were to land the former AS Monaco man in January.

Given his ability, it's a surprise to see Rodriguez so far down the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu, especially after his first year with the club was so impressive.

Per Squawka Football, even though he's been on the fringes of the side in the years since, he's still chipped in with some vital contributions:

However, for Zidane, who has sought to instil a more pragmatic edge into his team, those numbers clearly don't offset other frailties in Rodriguez's game.

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While he can dribble, pass, shoot and score wonderful goals, in terms of positional discipline and work rate, a player like Lucas Vazquez has the edge on the Colombian. It's why he's flourished under Zidane and Rodriguez has been left to fester on the fringes.

These traits make interest from Chelsea fascinating, as Antonio Conte is another manager who demands full application off the ball from his players. However, in the right setup, Rodriguez has proved he can be a threat, and perhaps that's something the Blues—who don't have the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale to accommodate—can provide.