La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly interested in Chelsea defender Reece James, whose market value is €70 million.
According to a report by Spanish outlet AS, Reece James is the subject of interest from Real Madrid. The reigning La Liga champions are keeping tabs on the situation surrounding Chelsea. And Los Blancos will likely launch the offensive if the Blues need to balance their books due to FFP threats.
Reece James has established himself as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League since breaking into the Chelsea first team. The English international had to bide his time by embarking on a loan spell at Wigan Athletic. But he has been one of many academy graduates to buck the trend and become a regular for Chelsea.
The 23-year-old has endured a frustrating 2022/23 season thanks to persistent fitness issues, even missing the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But that has not affected his market value, which has risen to €70 million. Meanwhile, James is a target for Real Madrid heading into the summer transfer window.
The reigning La Liga champions are closely monitoring the situation surrounding Chelsea. The Blues have spent bucketloads of money since Todd Boehly’s consortium took over. And Chelsea will need to balance the books to evade Financial Fair Play sanction. That might alert Real Madrid to launch the offensive for Reece James.
The Merengues are scouring the market for a right-back heading into the summer transfer window. That is because Dani Carvajal is well into his thirties. And the veteran right-back has suffered due to recent fitness issues and is not consistent enough anymore. So Real Madrid will have to sign a competitor for Carvajal.
Several right-backs, including Benjamin Pavard, have thus emerged on Real Madrid’s radar. But the Frenchman is a target for the 2024 summer transfer window. So Reece James is an option worth considering, although he will cost a bomb. While his market value is €70 million, Chelsea will likely demand much more as he is on a contract until June 2028.
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Meanwhile, James is not the only Chelsea player on Real Madrid’s radar. And Kai Havertz is also a target for the reigning La Liga champions ahead of the summer transfer window. But the Chelsea defender is a top target, and it will be interesting to see if a summer move materialises.
70 million would get you his left foot