Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on James Rodriguez and Thibaut Courtois

Chelsea will reportedly be rebuffed in their efforts to sign Real Madrid star James Rodriguez in the January transfer window because of a €70 million (£59.5 million) valuation of the player.

According to AS (h/t Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness), the Blues have been in touch with Los Blancos about a possible January move, although Madrid are said to be reluctant to sell midseason.

Sport (h/t Sposito) reported that while both Rodriguez and Chelsea are keen for this switch to go through, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is holding out for the aforementioned sum. It's said that could scupper a deal, although the player's agent, Jorge Mendes, could yet help push the move through.

The 25-year-old has been pushed to the fringes of the Blancos squad, with manager Zinedine Zidane preferring the likes of Isco and Lucas Vazquez.

Sports journalist Rafael Hernandez believes Rodriguez has a lot to offer, although there are areas of his game that let him down:

In his first season at Madrid, 2014/15, plenty aligned for the former AS Monaco man, and he excelled as the creative linchpin in Carlo Ancelotti's team. As an attacking midfielder, Rodriguez can do it all: dribble, pick a pass, link play well and score spectacular goals.

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These numbers from Squawka Football show that when he is on the pitch, the Colombian tends to have a big impact in the final third:

But Zidane values pragmatism and therefore doesn't accommodate players who don't work hard off the ball, Cristiano Ronaldo aside.

While that has been to Madrid's benefit under the Frenchman, it's been to the detriment of Rodriguez. A fresh start with a team like Chelsea to work with a manager like Antonio Conte, who will demand plenty from the player, would surely suit all parties.

Chelsea Keen to Keep Thibaut Courtois

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According to Marca (h/t Dipesh Agarwal of Sport Witness), Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is not ready to sell star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois despite speculation that he could be on his way to Real Madrid.

It's stated in the report the 24-year-old was signed with the long term in mind and that the Blues would not yield should Los Blancos come calling. It had previously been stated by Jose Felix Diaz of Marca that Courtois has told friends and team-mates he will move to the Santiago Bernabeu next term.

For Chelsea, the Belgium international is a key man, and after a difficult season in 2015/16, he has returned to his best this term, helping the Blues during their 11-game Premier League winning run.

As noted by Liam Twomey of ESPN FC, Courtois has been crucial to Chelsea's rapid rise up the table:

Needless to say, Conte will want to keep the impressive 'keeper. While Courtois is a sensational stopper, his concentration, command of his area and distribution separate the goalkeeper from so many others in the game.

Madrid have Keylor Navas as their first-choice option between the sticks, and he has proved himself as a useful 'keeper. However, Courtois' acquisition would be a statement signing, and not many clubs do those better than Real Madrid.