Spanish Report Claims Chelsea Are Weighing Up Huge £119m Summer Swoop for Real Madrid Midfield Star

Reports from Spain have claimed that Chelsea are weighing up a sensational £119m summer swoop for Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio, having received glowing reports of the player's talents from their striker Àlvaro Morata.

According to reports from Spanish outlet Diario Gol, previous suggestions that Asensio would be used as a bargaining chip by Los Blancos to snatch Eden Hazard from Chelsea are wide of the mark - and the Blues are confident that they can convince the tenacious Belgian to stay at the club, as well as bringing Asensio to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Given the wealth of attacking talent boasted by Zinedine Zidane's side, the 22-year-old has been forced to play a bit-part role for his side so far this season. With Real Madrid enduring a nightmare 2017/18 campaign in which they've fallen 19 points behind current leaders Barcelona, the club could well look to overhaul their playing squad at the end of the season.

The report claims that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is a big admirer of Asensio, so is unlikely to approve the player's exit without a suitable replacement being found. Real are long-term admirers of Hazard, and if Chelsea fail to qualify for the Champions League next season the former Lille star may well call time on his six-year spell with the west London club.

In other news, reports from Italy have claimed that Chelsea and Arsenal's managerial target Mauricio Sarri is set to stay with Napoli - despite being linked with a move to the Premier League at the end of the season. The southern Italians are current top of Serie A by one point, as they continue a fiercely-fought two-horse race with Juventus to win the league.