Chelsea willing to include Reece James as part of deal to sign 24-year-old Real Madrid star: Reports
Chelsea are reportedly prepared to use Reece James as bait to convince Real Madrid to send Aurelien Tchouameni to Stamford Bridge.
Spanish outlet Fichajes (via Madrid Universal) reports that the Blues are open to offering James as part of a deal to sign Tchouameni. Mauricio Pochettino appears to have set his sights on the French midfielder who has impressed at the Santiago Bernabeu this season.
Tchouameni has appeared 32 times across competitions for Real Madrid this season, bagging two goals and one assist. He's been a mainstay in Carlo Ancelotti's side, often operating in holding midfield but he's also filled in at centre-back.
Chelsea are set for a busy summer amid a disappointing season. They bolstered their midfield last summer by signing Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
However, Caicedo has yet to shine since becoming British football's most expensive signing in history (£115 million). His Belgian teammate Lavia has yet to play a single game and will miss the rest of the season through injury.
The west Londoners want to swoop for Tchouameni but affording a deal could be complicated as they need to comply with Financial Fairplay. Transfermarkt values the holding midfielder at €90 million (£77.5 million).
This is why Chelsea are ready to send James in the opposite direction. The 24-year-old has been on Real Madrid's shortlist as a potential long-term Dani Carvajal right-back replacement. He is regarded as one of the Premier League's best all-round full-backs.
However, the England international's injury record concerns the La Liga giants. He's made just nine appearances this season due to a recurring hamstring problem.
Los Blancos don't want to part ways with Tchouameni who has been vital for Ancelotti. The 31-cap France international arrived at the Bernabeu from AS Monaco for £85.3 million in June 2022.
Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior is a fan of Chelsea's James
James undoubtedly has a ton of ability, having excelled at right-back for his boyhood club when available. He's registered 11 goals and 21 assists in 156 games since making his senior debut in September 2019.
The English defender was part of the Chelsea side that won the UEFA Champions League in 2021. They beat Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the semifinals en route to European glory.
James came in both legs of that semifinal victory over Los Merengues. He dealt with Madrid's formidable forward Vinicius Junior who was enjoying a meteoric rise at the time.
Vinicius lavished praise on the Blues man the following year, naming him as one of his toughest opponents (via One Football):
"I’ve played against a lot of them and the most difficult opponents were Chelsea’s [Reece] James and [Kyle] Walker, of Manchester City."
Vinicius had no joy during that tie but did flourish in Real Madrid's next Champions League meeting with Chelsea. Ancelotti's men surged to a 4-0 aggregate win in the 2022-23 quarterfinals.
The Brazilian faced James again but this time was on the winning side. The pair have massive respect for one another amid their battles in Europe's elite club competition.