Reece James' rise to the Chelsea first-team has been meteoric. The 22-year-old has been a mainstay for the Blues since 2019, making the breakthrough under Frank Lampard following a loan spell at Wigan Athletic.
Despite suffering long-term injuries in the previous campaign, James managed 26 Premier League appearances, scoring five goals and assisting nine in that time. It's those sorts of performances that led to Thomas Tuchel praising the defender, claiming he would want to clone him.
"I would love to have two or three Reece James," The German coach said. "I see him 55% towards wing-back and 45% in the back three."
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The England international has since been linked with a move to Real Madrid and Manchester City for a potential future move. However, reports also claim that new owner Todd Boehly is preparing to offer him a new deal, with his current one expiring in 2025.
And amid such talk, Reece James’ father, Nigel James, has spoken about his son’s ambitions at Stamford Bridge. Speaking on The Byline, he said: “The part where I will be emotional is the day he becomes Chelsea captain.
“That’s his ambition and mine as well. Reece has been at Chelsea since he was six. There hasn’t been a player who has been there that young and worn the armband.
“The goal is to be the man that, when you hear Chelsea, you think Reece James.” It’s a huge statement of intent and suggests he could stay at the club and become the next big star rather than leave.
