Reece James is reportedly well aware of his status as one of Chelsea’s ‘underpaid’ stars amid transfer interest from Real Madrid and Manchester City.
The 22-year-old full-back reportedly earns just £70,000-a-week at Stamford Bridge despite becoming one of the club’s most important players in recent seasons. His current deal in west London runs until 2025, though given recent the Blues' recent history of seeing players leave on frees at the end of their deals, Chelsea fans are desperate for James to be offered fresh terms to secure his long-term future.
According to the Athletic, James is aware that he is underpaid when assessing the role he plays in the team, with the club’s new owners told to prioritise a new deal to keep suitors away. Both Real Madrid and Manchester City are said to be keen on the full-back, with the recently-crowned Champions League winners looking to secure a replacement for Dani Carvajal and Pep Guardiola eyeing a long-term successor to Kyle Walker.
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Chelsea’s position isn’t a weak one though. With three years left on his deal and the fact that the Blues are his boyhood club, James does not seem to be in any rush to leave west London. The club are said to be calm on his contract negotiations due to the length of time still remaining, with more pressing matters on their hands at the moment.
Thomas Tuhcel is currently looking for defensive reinforcements following the departures of both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen this summer, while Cesar Azpilicueta’s future is still uncertain with Barcelona keen to take the Spaniard to La Liga.
This leaves Chelsea severely under-strength at the back, with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Inter’s Denzel Dumfries both being eyed up as potential signings to boost the ranks at the back. James will also play an important role in providing stability across the back line next season thanks to his versatility, being able to play at either left or right-back and even playing as part of a back three for Tuchel at points last season.
“He can play both positions brilliantly, but we can only select him once,” Tuchel explained in April. “I think that the back three is a little bit less demanding physically in comparison to the wing-back position. This is anyway the next step, how many games can he play as a wing-back? If he plays wing-back during a season, [can he be] reliable on a level where he’s decisive?
“It’s a bit less demanding physically in the back three in terms of accelerations, long accelerations, and high speed. That helps us to have him on the pitch for more minutes, and that’s why he plays in there. So we need to decide.”
Given James’ importance to the team and Tuchel’s clear liking for the player, it would make sense for his long-term future to be secured sooner rather than later though the cards are firmly in the club’s hands - for now.
