Manchester City join Real Madrid in race to sign 23-year-old Chelsea superstar: Reports
Manchester City have reportedly joined Real Madrid in the race to sign Chelsea captain Reece James.
The England international has only recently returned to full fitness after suffering a hamstring issue that has seen him miss 10 matches across all competitions this season.
According to The Independent, James is seen as the successor to Cityzens defender Kyle Walker, aged 33. However, the Premier League champions will have to battle Spanish giants Real Madrid for the player's signature according to the aforementioned report.
Similar to the situation in Manchester, Los Blancos wish to sign a replacement for long-term servant Dani Carvajal and have identified James as the leading candidate.
Despite the overwhelming interest in James', it is believed that the Blues are unwilling to sell the 23-year-old defender. Should the west Londoners let go of James to either side, TeamTalk expect the asking price to be over €70 million.
The defender came up through the ranks at Chelsea before breaking into the senior team and establishing himself as the first-choice right-back. So far, James has managed 153 senior appearances at Stamford Bridge across all competitions, bagging 11 goals and 21 assists.
He has won the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2021 and two other titles with the Blues. It will be interesting to see if the full-back considers a move away after being named captain ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pohcettino pleased after 4-4 Manchester City draw
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said he was happy with his team's performance in a thrilling 4-4 draw between Manchester City and the Blues on Sunday (November 12).
A topsy-turvy clash saw both sides register a combined 32 shots, with 19 of them finding the target. Addressing his team's performance after one of the games of the season so far, Pochettino said (via Eurosport):
"They showed their character, showed their mentality, showed that we have tools that against a team like Manchester City, we go for the goal, to dominate and to have the capacity to create chances."
The Argentine added:
"It's a starting point to start to build our confidence and to believe more in the way we're working. I think today is about how we're going to compete in the future in this way."
After this result, the Blues are placed 10th in the Premier League standings, having racked up 16 points from 12 matches. They will travel to St. James Park to face Newcastle United after the international break (November 25).