Real Madrid ‘interested’ in transfer move for Chelsea fan-favourite

Real Madrid are thought to be interested in a transfer move for Chelsea captain Reece James - Los Blancos are hoping that he can replicate the success of fellow countryman Jude Bellingham at the Bernabeu Stadium.

Moreover, the Spanish giants are also looking to replace long-standing right-back Dani Carvajal. While Carvajal has been an excellent servant to them over the years, at the age of 31, his prime years are now behind him.

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea are looking to offload several players in the 2024 summer transfer window to balance out their Financial Fair Play spending - if James is among the casualties, his next destination could be Madrid. However, this begs the question - is the Chelsea academy graduate too important to move on?

Currently, James is under contract at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2028. This means that any clubs who wishes to bring him on board will be forced to pay a hefty fee - but a club of Madrid’s size should have little issue with this, even with their ongoing financial difficulties.

Should Chelsea allow Reece James to join Real Madrid?

James, despite his spotty injury record, is one of the most important members of the Chelsea squad. Not only is he their captain, he is also one of the most talented defenders in the squad.

Losing James would undoubtedly be a massive blow to the Blues - he would also be very difficult to replace, given his adaptability and wide skillset. While he is a natural right-back, he is also a solid wide centre-back.

There are certainly less important players to the squad who Chelsea could look to offload in the summer. Of course, selling James would net them a tidy sum, but selling their captain - especially in such an era of discontent for Chelsea - is likely to be a deeply unpopular move.