La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid have reportedly approached Chelsea defender Reece James over a possible move in the summer.
According to a report by Goal, Reece James has quickly become an important target for Real Madrid heading into the summer transfer window. The Spanish giants have contacted the Chelsea defender over a possible move ahead of the 2022/23 season, with the Blues set to give a tough fight to keep hold of their prized asset.
Reece James is widely regarded as one of the best young full-backs in Europe after going from strength to strength since establishing a foothold in the first-team setup at Stamford Bridge. The English international is now a pivotal figure for club and country and has enjoyed a solid 2021/22 campaign.
The 22-year-old has amassed six goals and seven assists in 31 appearances across all competitions. And even though injuries have tried to play a spoilsport, James has been so impressive that he has emerged on the radars of several high profile clubs across Europe, including Real Madrid.
The interest from Real Madrid stems from the struggles of Dani Carvajal this season. The Spanish international has seen his performance levels decline drastically after suffering from several fitness issues in the past year, and he has often flattered to deceive in the ongoing campaign.
Carlo Ancelotti does not have another natural right-back in his squad, meaning he has had to rely on Lucas Vazquez and Nacho to fill in as makeshift solutions at times. But neither Spaniard has been convincing enough this season, prompting Real Madrid to set sights on James. And the Chelsea defender has quickly become a priority target for Los Blancos.
The Spanish giants are now stepping up their efforts to prise the 22-year-old away from Chelsea, approaching him over a possible move in the summer transfer window. Real Madrid will have no qualms spending the big bucks to land James, but they might need to fend off stiff competition from other European bigwigs to snap him up.
While the report does not mention the identity of other suitors, what seems certain is that Chelsea will fight tooth and nail to keep hold of James beyond the summer transfer window, especially with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen set to leave as free agents. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea can ward off Real Madrid to retain the services of James going into the 2022/23 season.
