Real Madrid are hoping to take advantage of Chelsea’s need to raise funds this summer by eyeing a move for Reece James.
The two clubs have been pitted against each other in the Champions League for the third successive season – with the Spanish and European champions triumphing 2-0 in Wednesday night’s first leg in Madrid. Before the match, Blues owner Todd Boehly lunched with a delegation of Madrid officials headed by president Florentino Perez – continuing a pre-match tradition.
Yet while Boehly's bravado ahead of the match saw him confidently predict his out-of-form side could blow away the current Champions League holders 3-0, Madrid officials were growing confident in their plans to raid Chelsea's squad.
The west London club are aware of the need to sell several academy graduates this summer as this is the easiest and quickest way to balance their financial books. Liverpool are weighing up moves for Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher due to this situation.
Chelsea are in a precarious position in terms of their finances as they have spent over £550million on transfer fees this season alone, a record for any club, in addition to the payments involved in sacking managers Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
Additionally, the club’s accounts show that the club’s departing board received a payoff of £49.75million last summer, with Marina Granovskaia alone pocketing £36million for 'services related to the club's sale'.
Chelsea now need to balance the books in order to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, having become the first club to have accumulated pre-tax losses exceeding £1billion since the Premier League began.
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As has been highlighted by Marca, Madrid are aware of this situation and are likely to step up their attempts to land wing-back James this summer. They are thought to have been admirers of the England international since the two sides met in the Champions League last four in the 2020/21 campaign.
Madrid are willing to pay €50million (£44m) to sign James, due to their need to strengthen at right-back. Dani Carvajal has suffered with injuries in recent years, while Lucas Vazquez and Nacho Fernandez have both been deployed in the position to cover due to a shortage for the club in the area.
James, 23, has made 145 first-team appearances for the Blues but the club are aware that they could register any transfer fee received for him entirely as profit – and a big-money move for a wing-back might be welcomed in the corridors at Stamford Bridge.
