CHELSEA are reportedly ready to offer £53million (€60m) for Real Madrid ace James Rodriguez.
The Colombian has been strongly linked with a move away from the Bernabeu after falling down the pecking order under Zinedine Zidane.
A transfer looks inevitable for Rodriguez but no club is yet to reach the £53m valuation Madrid chief Florentino Perez has set.
But Spanish publication Don Balon claim the Blues are prepared to stump up the required fee to secure his signature and pip Manchester United in the race to land him.
Antonio Conte is keen to bolster his attacking options having seen moves for Romelu Lukaku and Tiemoue Bakayoko stall.
The Italian looks set to miss out on the Everton forward with Lukaku on the verge of joining Manchester United and he is now chasing Rodriguez.
But Don Balon claim Chelsea may struggle to win over Rodriguez because the 25-year-old has his heart set on a switch to Old Trafford.
The former Monaco man’s agent Jorge Mendes is said to be pushing hard in sealing a move for his client with United his preferred choice.
And it seems Chelsea face an uphill battle to change Rodriguez’s mind.
Rodriguez is keen to be starting on a regular basis having been limited to just 32 appearances across all competitions last term.
Rodriguez, who joined Madrid in 2014, remains under contract with Madrid until 2020.
Source:www.express.co.uk