A number of European clubs are interested in signing Chelsea full-back Reece James. Real Madrid’s strategy would be to recruit the winger during the summer transfer window of 2023.
In the short term, they are focused on bringing PSG forward Kylian Mbappe to the club, having previously agreed to a deal for Blues defender Antonio Rudiger. Carlo Ancelotti’s team is also prepared to compete with Chelsea and Liverpool for the services of Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
James has established himself as one of Chelsea’s most important players, and his departure would be a significant blow to Thomas Tuchel, who relies on him as a regular starter. He will not be let go without a fight and is one of the players on whom the club’s management wants to build their future.
Despite his first-team status, James, who has a contract with Chelsea until 2025, is not one of the club’s biggest earners. It’s a similar position to Mason Mount’s, in that both players are intensely committed to Chelsea but are among the lowest-paid in the capital.
Despite the fact that the new owners will have a full list of tasks to complete upon their arrival, they will need to protect the long-term futures of both players, who could have their heads turned by the summer of 2023, especially if things do not go as planned in the coming months. Their contract circumstances have startled the Blues’ European competitors, who have asked if they are interested in extending their contracts in order to make a transfer in the future.
Both players have stated that this is not the case, although there has been little discussion about their contracts being renewed thus far. Cesar Azpilicueta remains a target for Barcelona, despite Andreas Christensen’s agreement to join the club and Rudiger’s departure to Real Madrid.
Jorginho is a summer transfer target for Juventus, and he could be allowed to leave if Conor Gallagher returns from his loan spell at Crystal Palace. Chelsea is unlikely to sign Saul Niguez on a long-term contract because they are now unable to do so due to the club’s sanctions.
Furthermore, N’Golo Kante and Marcos Alonso’s contracts are set to expire within the next year, and they will need to negotiate new terms if they want to stay with the club. Several loanees, notably Southampton’s Armando Broja and Huddersfield’s Levi Colwill, are drawing transfer interest. Many possible transfers are tied to player exits, with a “one in, one out” policy mooted before Roman Abramovich was forced to sell the club.
