Real Madrid, Manchester City vying to sign Reece James

Chelsea defender Reece James has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Manchester City and Real Madrid ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea could be facing a massive exodus in the summer in light of the recent sanctions imposed by the UK Government on owner Roman Abramovich. One of the players who might end up leaving Stamford Bridge is right-back Reece James, who is attracting serious interest from Real Madrid and Manchester City.

James is a product of the Chelsea youth academy and made his first-team breakthrough in 2019 after a successful loan spell at Wigan Athletic. He soon established himself as a permanent fixture on the right-hand side of the defence, impressing while playing as a wing-back as well as a traditional full-back.

James has demonstrated great attacking abilities and has acted as one of the Blues’ key creative outlets going forward, especially in the current system under Thomas Tuchel. At the same time, he has shown himself to be a solid defender. To date, he has made 110 appearances for the club, scoring nine times and chalking up 15 assists, helping the club win the UEFA Champions League last season.

And James’s rapid growth in stature at Chelsea has not gone unnoticed, with Real Madrid and Manchester City taking an interest in the 22-year-old, who has ten caps for the England national team.

Reece James is the only defender in Europe’s top five leagues this season to score 5+ goals and provide 5+ assists…

He was out injured for two months. Incredible talent. ? pic.twitter.com/Ejv3523d5o

— LDN (@LDNFootbalI) March 5, 2022

Real Madrid are on the lookout for a long-term replacement for first-choice right-back Dani Carvajal, who has battled injury problems over the past couple of years and has been found wanting against forwards with pace. With backup option Lucas Vazquez failing to impress, it is time for Los Blancos to bring in a new, top-class right-back to bolster their defence.

Several names have been linked recently, with Chelsea’s Reece James also emerging as a target. However, Los Blancos will have to stave off interest from Premier League champions Manchester City, who are also closely monitoring the 22-year-old Blues star.

The Cityzens have Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo as options for the right-back slot currently, but the latter has been extensively used on the left side by Pep Guardiola. And with Walker set to turn 32 in a couple of months, Manchester City are looking at options to replace him in the long run, with Chelsea ace Reece James emerging as their preferred candidate.

Also Read: Chelsea and Abramovich in limbo: What do the UK government sanctions mean for the club?

James’s current contract with Chelsea, which he signed in 2020, runs until the summer of 2025. With the Blues facing some uncertain times, whether Real Madrid or Manchester City can lure the England star away from Stamford Bridge will be interesting to see.