Reece James has penned down a new five-year deal and an extra one year until 2028 with Chelsea.
The deal was agreed last Saturday, September 3 after Chelsea defeated West Ham in the Premier League 2-1. The new deal has made James the highest-paid defender in Chelsea’s history.
The 22-year-old defender has been a regular starter as a right-wing defender since 2019 for Chelsea. He has made a total of 253 appearances in which he scored 19 goals and provided 37 assists.
Reece James won the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup with Chelsea, and he is hungry to get more under Tuchel.
James’s new deal is worth a whopping amount of £250,000 in weekly wages to fend off interest from Real Madrid, who want the defender to replace Dani Carvajal.
Manchester City were also reported to be in talks to sign the defender. Pep Guardiola is an admirer of the player and sees him as a perfect replacement for Kylie Walker. But the English champions will now have to pay a huge amount to price him away from Chelsea.
James has grown up supporting Chelsea since he was six and has made his intention known that he wants to stay at the club to win trophies.
The English defender has been an integral part of Thomas Tuchel’s team, with the German manager not trusting any other right back to deliver.
His skills and confidence on the ball, his crossing ability, and his positioning have made him a famous player among the fans.
Chelsea have also continued to put trust in young players with Armando Borja, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurrela and Carney Chukwuemeka signing a long term deal.
In a bid to be ready for the World Cup, James doesn’t want to move to any team where he has limited chances of starting games.
Chelsea Chairman Todd Boehly is also excited about the new deal and believes James deserves the deal because he has been a good servant to the club. Co-owners Behdad Eghbali and José Feliciano have also shared their thoughts on the deal.
Chelsea legend John Terry tweeted after James announced the new deal. Terry expressed his delight at the new contract on social media. He said, “I love that. Congratulations, Reece James.”
Terry has also encouraged Chelsea to give an improved deal to Mason Mount, who has also performed exceptionally well for Chelsea over the years.
Chelsea and Reece James will travel to Dinamo Zagreb for the Champions League encounter on September 7, 2022. The London side has been tipped to win the title, but they need to start taking their chances.
After that, they play against Fulham on September 10, 2022, at 12:30 pm for the London derby. The club currently sits in the 6th position in the Premier League with ten points.
