Chelsea are ready to part ways with Reece James following the homegrown star’s injury problems, but there are stumbling blocks in any sale.
According to TBR, Reece James’ time at Chelsea could be coming to a close, as the club are open to selling the 24-year-old key star. The right-back has had persistent injury issues, which have seen him miss a chunk of games over the last two seasons. The Blues will find it difficult to find a suitor for the right price.
Reece James was once considered the best right back in the Premier League by a country mile, but currently, he’s not part of that conversation. The 24-year-old homegrown star has suffered persistent injury issues to his troublesome hamstring, which has seen him miss a chunk of games in the past two campaigns.
Chelsea are reportedly considering selling the 24-year-old key player ahead of the future, which could see the club re-consider their stance next summer. James has been outstanding for the Blues ever since breaking into the starting eleven under former boss Frank Lampard, but his availability is causing concerns, with the club deeply thinking about a sale.
Being a homegrown star, any proceeds from the sale will be seen as pure profit, and hence, Chelsea will not oppose the idea of selling him. The 24-year-old key star being a fan favourite will also be a factor, although if he makes himself unavailable many times in the remainder of the current campaign, the supporters might come to concede on the idea of selling him.
Meanwhile, since Raheem Sterling’s loan departure to Arsenal, James has been Chelsea’s highest-paid player. That is also a concern for a club that is keeping its salary outlay to a certain limit for the time being, as James has played just around 23 Premier League games since signing that lucrative deal in September 2022.
Chelsea will struggle to sell Reece James
Real Madrid were once heavily interested and could still come back for the 24-year-old key star, particularly if he was made available for a cut-price deal. As of now, his injury troubles have seen Florentino Perez cool that interest, with the report stating that the Madrid supremo could return with an offer of £20 million or so for the knackered Chelsea star.
Barcelona were also keen, but given the financial implications and the non-guarantees about James’ fitness, they, too, could back away. Hence, with those issues with the right-back’s injury history, coupled with his massive wages, Chelsea could struggle to find a suitor willing to pay big for the right-back, although James’ future will depend on himself showing the club he can stay fit for the long term.
