Chelsea target subject of fresh China rumours after sensational talk of £95m move this week

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Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez is again being linked with a move to China after his agent was pictured with Tianjin Quanjin president Shu Yuhiu.

According to The Mirror, the Colombian international was linked with a £95m move to Hebei Fortune earlier this week, but the Chinese Super League outfit rejected those claims.

However, that hasn’t ended speculation of a lucrative switch to the Far East for the creative ace, with Tianjin now the latest club to be linked with a move after their president was seen with Jorge Mendes.

The ‘super-agent’, has already brokered deals for clients Jadson, Luis Fabiano, Jackson Martinez, Ricardo Carvalho and Axel Witsel to move to China, and evidently he has deep-rooted ties in the country now as he looks for further opportunities for his players still in Europe.

Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are specifically mentioned in the report as two interested parties in Rodriguez, but it appears as though they could be priced out of a move if Tianjin’s interest is legitimate.

Rodriguez hasn’t had the happiest of times since moving to the Spanish capital in 2014 from Monaco, and he has struggled for regular playing time under Zinedine Zidane this season.

Despite that, he’s still produced 10 assists and scored four goals in 18 appearances in all competitions in limited minutes, and that is proof of the undeniable quality that he possesses in the final third.

At 25, a move to China would undoubtedly earn him severe criticism, but ultimately he’ll make the decision that’s best for his career and family and it will be difficult for any player to turn down the money being thrown around in the CSL.

Chelsea have their own troubles to consider after Diego Costa’s bust-up with Antonio Conte, but it appears as though they could be set to miss out on a top target as they will eventually look to replace Oscar and bring in an attacking midfielder.

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