Manchester City are keen to continue a contract for Chelsea and England defender Reece James this summer.
The Blues Academy candidate has had meteoric success in recent seasons. After spending the 2018/19 promotion on loan at Championship side Wigan, James has now cemented his place in Chelsea’s first team and is a regular in England’s squad.
He played 47 games in all competitions last season for Chelsea and played a full 90 minutes when Thomas Tuchel’s side won over City in the Champions League final.
The 21-year-old played a key role in that victory in Porto and stifled the threat from Raheem Sterling when Chelsea secured a 1-0 victory, but that achievement may have cost – as The Athletic reports that his talents have caught Pep Guardiola’s eye.
City already have two international right-backs in Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo, but James’ ability to step into midfield when called upon – as the aforementioned Portuguese full-back has sometimes done – has impressed Guardiola.
You would be forgiven for assuming that there is no chance that Chelsea will entertain offers for their talented young star, but their interest in Inter Achraf Hakimi suggests that Tuchel may not see James as the club’s long-term right-back – that, or he admits Cesar Azpilicueta is better suited for a central role at this stage of his career.
The Blues are currently locked in a battle with Paris Saint-Germain for Morocco’s signature, but it is still a battle they seem to lose against the Ligue 1 giants, currently being handled by former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino. As it stands, he is likely to move to the French capital in a deal worth 70 million euros.
Since Chelea’s quest for Hakimi is likely to fail, it is very likely that James would remain the club’s first back. However, there is a possibility that the noted interest in Hakimi could have worried James – even if the current speculation does not seem to have been substantiated by any kind of accident.
