Reece James and Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea
Manchester City will provide Real Madrid with competition to sign Chelsea captain Reece James, according to stunning reports.
James has had an injury-hit season, as he was out of action between August and October with a recurring hamstring problem. However, he is gradually getting back to full fitness, and he managed 64 minutes in the chaotic 4-4 draw with City on Sunday.
The right-back registered an assist for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, setting up Raheem Sterling for a simple tap-in in the 37th minute after Josko Gvardiol failed to clear the ball for City.
Both James and Sterling were looking to impress in one of Chelsea’s biggest games of the season – as the duo have been left out of Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad – and they did just that.
James is a graduate of the Chelsea academy and will be hugely proud to captain the club after getting the nod from Pochettino. Although, the Blues are at growing risk of losing him.
On November 2, TEAMtalk exclusively revealed that Madrid are hoping to repeat the success of Jude Bellingham’s capture by adding his compatriot James to their squad.
READ MORE: Jamie Carragher sings praises of ‘arrogant’ new Chelsea talisman; ‘something special’ happening under Pochettino
But Madrid are not alone in admiring the wide man. According to The Independent (as cited by Manchester Evening News), City are also involved in the chase for James.
City boss Pep Guardiola currently has Kyle Walker as his main right-back, and the former Tottenham Hotspur man is part of City’s five-man leadership group. Rico Lewis and John Stones can also operate there, if required.
Man City, Real Madrid both want Reece James
However, with Walker now 33 years old, Guardiola knows that he will soon need a new right-back to come in and become a successor to the five-time Premier League champion.
As James has established himself as one of the best right-backs in England in recent years, he is a prime candidate. Guardiola will love the fact that James can be devastating in attack, while also being great at dealing with rapid forwards at the other end of the pitch.
As James is 23, he could provide City with around 10 years of service, ending Guardiola’s right-back problem for the long run. Plus, the fact James is still towards the start of his career means Guardiola could develop him into a truly world-class full-back.
However, the main problem here will be convincing Chelsea to sell James. The report does not mention how much City might have to bid to strike an agreement, but trasfermarkt have previously valued him as high as €70million (£61m).
Should both City and Madrid enter negotiations for James next summer, then Chelsea will probably quote Guardiola’s side at a far higher price. After all, they will not want to see him shine for a Premier League rival.
It is understandable that City are big fans of James, given how he has emerged into one of Chelsea’s most integral stars. But it is clear that they will need to offer an astronomical amount to even get Chelsea thinking about a possible sale.
