Real Madrid Transfer News: Eden Hazard, James Rodriguez Swap Rumours Emerge

Chelsea star Eden Hazard continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid, with the latest round of rumours suggesting he's "more open" to negotiations than before while the La Liga giants could use James Rodriguez or Isco to convince the Blues to sell.

Jose Felix Diaz of Madrid-based daily Marca wrote a lengthy report on the rumours on Sunday, describing how Real manager Zinedine Zidane remains impressed with the Belgium international. Per the report, Los Blancos have been following Hazard since 2012, but when they approached the player 12 months ago, he wasn't willing to negotiate a move.

After a great 2016-17 campaign, that is said to be different. Diaz also reported Hazard is learning Spanish and that Real director Juni Calafat travelled to England to watch the Blues take on Manchester United in the FA Cup and test the winger's "willingness to negotiate."

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The new rumours come just a day after Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph reported Chelsea are preparing for any approaches to their star forward by trying to lock up him up to a new contract.

Belgian sports writer Kristof Terreur doubted this latest batch of speculation, pointing to the rarity of swap deals occurring and the fact the Blues have no intention of losing the 26-year-old:

Both Rodriguez and Isco seem expendable for Los Blancos. The duo have played their part this season but aren't regular starters when everyone is fit. Given their impressive talent and potential, though, they retain a lot of value on the transfer market.

They would make for impressive pieces to add to a swap deal, even if Chelsea would likely prefer cash in any deal. The Blues are expected to invest heavily in the squad during the summer in anticipation of UEFA Champions League football, so every penny would be welcome.

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But as reported by The Independent's Luke Brown, a stay with Chelsea seems far more likely.

It's hard to see how Hazard would fit into the Real system, where Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are almost automatic starters out wide―unless the former is willing to move inside to accommodate Hazard, it's hard justifying spending a huge amount of money on the trickster.

Diario Gol (via the Express' Dan Gibbs) reported that Ronaldo does not want Real to sign Hazard. From a purely tactical perspective, it would be hard to disagree with the Portugal international.