Real Madrid want Chelsea star in exchange for James Rodriguez

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has reportedly earmarked Chelsea's N'Golo Kante as his dream signing and the club could make a proposal by the end of the campaign.

Kante has been with the Blues for the past three seasons and during this period, he has won the Premier League, FA Cup and most recently, the Europa League.

According to El Desmarque, Kante has been identified as the prime target for Zidane and he is keen to pair the Frenchman alongside Casemiro in the centre of the park.

The Blues are currently said to value Kante at around £138m but Los Blancos are aiming to reduce the valuation to £86m by offering James Rodriguez as a makeweight in any future deal.

Chelsea are presently banned from registering any new players until the summer of 2020 but they are hopeful of nullifying the transfer embargo by January after their appeal to the Court for Arbitration for Sport.

The west London giants are currently placed fifth in the league standings with just goal difference separating them from the Champions League places. They are scheduled to host Newcastle United at home on Saturday.