Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Alex Sandro and James Rodriguez

Chelsea have reportedly had a €50 million (£44 million) offer rejected for Juventus left-back Alex Sandro.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), the Italian champions are reluctant to cash in on the Brazilian, who is a crucial part of the Bianconeri setup. Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia) reported that the bid was nearer to €60 million (£52.7 million).

That would be an extraordinary amount of money to pay for a full-back, although Sandro would be worth the outlay. Here is what he can offer:

Whether operating as a left-back or as a wing-back, the Juventus man has been an irrepressible presence on the flank.

Sandro is full of energy, aggressive in his defending and has a fantastic attacking appetite too. Per WhoScored.com, he loves to pile forward and get deliveries into the penalty area:

His signing would be a coup for Chelsea. While Marcos Alonso was excellent on the left wing last term, Sandro would add something extra to the team. Manager Antonio Conte would likely love to have another natural in the position too, with no other obvious option in the Blues squad.

Still, it'd be a massive surprise if Juventus sold the 26-year-old this summer. The Serie A side came up short in their pursuit of the UEFA Champions League last season and will be keen to keep their core together to have another stab at it next term.

Bleacher Report's Gianni Verschueren doesn't believe Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri would have recently signed a new deal unless he'd been given assurances over the left-back's future:

Sandro has developed into the premier left-back in football, and with that in mind, it's no surprise a club of Chelsea's calibre is keen to acquire him. However, given how crucial he is to the Bianconeri cause, the Blues would have to part with an extraordinary amount of money to get him to Stamford Bridge.

James Rodriguez Rumours

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According to AS (h/t Sport Witness), Chelsea have emerged as suitors for Real Madrid star James Rodriguez.

It's reported that with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain losing interest in the Colombia midfielder, he is now a Blues target. Inter Milan and Bayern Munich are also said to be monitoring the player's situation.

The article also noted it could cost as much as €80 million (£70 million) to prise Rodriguez away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

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Rodriguez arrived at Real Madrid in 2014 after a stunning FIFA World Cup and was outstanding in his debut campaign with Los Blancos. However, under manager Zinedine Zidane, he's been pushed to the fringes of the squad.

Still, as noted by OptaJose, while he wasn't a guaranteed starter last season Rodriguez still chipped in with some excellent contributions:

If Chelsea were able to get Rodriguez, he'd offer a different dimension to their attacking play. The former AS Monaco man is creative with the ball at his feet and adept at influencing matches from different positions across midfield. His technique, shooting ability from distance and dribbling skill make him tough to contain.

With Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro to call upon in support of a centre-forward, Chelsea aren't short of options in these positions. But adding a player of Rodriguez's standard in the final third would be a massive statement as they seek to retain their Premier League title in 2017-18.