Chelsea are set to move for Colombia international James Rodriguez in January as Antonio Conte looks to replace the outgoing Oscar, reports the Sunday Mirror.
Oscar is on the cusp of a £62m switch to Shanghai SIPG which will leave Conte short of midfield options in the New Year.
The Brazil international was a first team regular at the start of the season under the Blues boss, but following a switch to a 3-4-3 formation, has found regular game time hard to come by, with the midfielder not starting a Premier League game since the 2-1 loss to Liverpool in September.
Conte has since earmarked Rodriguez as a possible signing to help cover Oscar’s loss, with Chelsea readying a £75m move for the Colombian.
The Blues pressed to sign the out of favour Real Madrid attacker last summer, but the Spanish side blocked any move.
However, with the 25-year-old struggling to hold down a regular starting spot, Real Madrid would be willing to cash in on Rodriguez in the New Year, provided they can recoup most, if not all, of the £75m they intially paid to secure his services from Monaco.
For more stats on James Rodriguez, click here to view his WhoScored player page
