Real Madrid board hold Reece James transfer belief with £62m price tag

Chelsea may well have to fend off interest from Real Madrid in the near future for star full-back Reece James, according to reports in Spain. The 23-year-old has established himself as one of Europe’s best-attacking right-backs in recent years.

After a successful loan spell at Wigan, James broke into Chelsea’s first team in 2019 under Frank Lampard and has solidified his spot in the side ever since. He played a huge part in the club’s Champions League triumph back in 2021 under Thomas Tuchel with Chelsea hoping to keep him at the club for the long-term.

One of Todd Boehly’s first acts as the club’s new owner after the transfer window closed was to tie James down to a new contract. That deal means James has committed his future at Stamford Bridge until 2028.

But Marca suggest Chelsea could be willing to sell James with the full-back grabbing the ‘attention’ of Real. The Spanish giant’s directors are reportedly ‘evaluating’ James and believe he could be an option in the future.

It’s claimed that James has a ‘£62m price tag’ and the Blues need to try and ‘balance the books’ this summer following their recent transfer activity. The Spanish side are reportedly ‘not in a hurry’ to make a move to improve their options at right-back with both Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez proving to be solid options.

Alex Jimenez, David Jimenez, Vinicius Tobias and Fortea are also listed as stars for the future at full-back. But Real will reportedly ‘monitor James’ situation’ to see whether a move would be viable.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies is also said to be an option on the left side of defence. The Canada international has just two years left on his current contract and is in negotiations with Bayern over a new deal.

Don’t miss…
Chelsea ‘trigger extension clause’ in Enzo Fernandez’s contract[LATEST]
Tottenham can field brand new XI under Vincent Kompany with 5 signings[LATEST]
Thomas Tuchel could sting Man Utd after Ten Hag felt ‘sorry’ for rival[LATEST]

However, prying James away from Chelsea may also prove difficult with the defender a boyhood fan of the club.

“I am over the moon with my new contract and I’m thankful for the fans, the new ownership and everyone involved in the club,” he said back in September. “I cannot wait to see what the future holds, and I am sure we will have the chance of winning many trophies.

“I grew up supporting this club and I’ve been here since I was a six-year-old. I put pen to paper on a new deal because this is the club I want to be at. I’d like to say a special thanks to the fans, I am here to stay and we have a bright future ahead of us.”

Source: Read Full Article