Reece James' father, Nigel, has admitted that he was 'gobsmacked' after Real Madrid registered interest in his son. The 23-year-old defender was heavily linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu following a meteoric rise to superstardom under Thomas Tuchel.
During the German's tenure at Stamford Bridge, James played a major role in one of the most successful periods in the Blues' history, winning the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. On the west Londoners' road to becoming European champions, Chelsea waltzed past Real Madrid in the semi-final and James certainly caught Carlo Ancelotti's eye.
Then, a year later, the two sides met again in the quarter-final. Reports from Spain later suggested that Los Blancos' entourage of scouts and technical staff were left impressed by the Cobham graduate and noted him as a replacement for Dani Carvajal.
Speaking on The Beautiful Game podcast, James' father revealed his stance on Real Madrid's interest and his first thoughts on a potential move to the Spanish capital. He said: "I was just gobsmacked.
"I don't read things anymore, because yeah, until someone rings my phone, or tells the people I work with what the deal is then you take something seriously but Reece is a top player, so I'm sure most clubs would want to sign him but right now I don't see anything changing."
Nigel added that, despite speculation over his son's future, James is determined to become the next Chelsea captain. He said: "He is a Chelsea player and until, if Chelsea wants to sell him, it’s like anything. If a club do not want to work with you anymore and for some reason they want to get rid of you then you go.
"If they want you … he’s been there since six years of age, his ambition is to wear the armband and captain the side and it broke his heart the season we have had just gone."
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James is expected to play a major role in Mauricio Pochettino's starting lineup this season as Chelsea hope to rejoin the Premier League title race. The Blues endured a miserable campaign last term, finishing in the bottom half of the English top flight.
Chelsea also failed to make it past the third round in each of the domestic cup competition, while switching between four different managers. During this period, James picked up numerous injuries and the club certainly felt the ramifications of his absence.
All in all, the England international featured 24 times for the Blues, starting just 14 times. Pochettino will know that if the Blues want to return to their best then James must be able to stay fit for the duration of the season.
