Chelsea have been dealt a killer blow in their pursuit of Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez as Cristiano Ronaldo wants him to remain at the Bernabeu, report The Sun.
Rodriguez established himself as one of the most exciting attacking players in the world during the 2014 World Cup, where he enjoyed a fantastic tournament and finished as top goalscorer. It appeared to capture the attention of Real Madrid, who made a big-money move to secure his services.
Not all has gone to plan for Rodriguez with Los Blancos, though, he has struggled to force his way into Zinedine Zidane’s starting side. As per The Sun, Chelsea were interested in signing the out-of-favour star in the January transfer window, but a move never materialised.
The Sun believe that Rodriguez is unlikely to ever make a move to Chelsea, as Ronaldo, who has the same agent as his teammate, wants him to stay. Antonio Conte will have to look elsewhere in his efforts to strengthen his side.