Chelsea should move on from injury-riddled Reece James
Chelsea will have to make some major decisions in the transfer market come summertime. The Blues recently posted losses of $115 million for the 2022/23 financial year after spending freely in recent seasons. As a result, the west London club is seemingly close to potential profit and sustainability (PSR) violations.
Current Premier League spending laws state that top-flight teams cannot exceed $133 million in losses over three years. Because new American ownership has spent freely since coming aboard, the club is expected to sell a series of players in the summer market.
Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah are two of the most likely current Chelsea players to depart in the coming months. This is even though Gallagher has captained his side at times this season and has been one of the few bright spots in the squad. Tottenham Hotspur has been heavily linked with a move for the England midfielder.
Reece James has almost missed as many games as he has played since 2020
Another Chelsea star that could soon be on his way out is star defender Reece James. The fullback’s future has been up in the air for months now. James is widely considered one of the top players in his position when fit. Nevertheless, the England international has endured a plethora of setbacks in recent years.
James has missed 86 total Chelsea matches since December 2020 due to various injuries. While the right-back has endured knee and quad issues, most of his setbacks involve his hamstring. The dynamic defender was previously forced to miss nine Blues games earlier in the season because of the issue. He then underwent surgery to fix the muscle back in December and has not featured for the club since.
Sources at ESPN claim that Chelsea officials do not currently have plans to offload James this coming summer. Instead of selling their captain, the club appears set to make other moves instead. This potentially includes parting ways with a plethora of players currently on loan. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech, and Armando Broja are just a few stars in this particular category.
Defender’s value has plummeted in recent months
Nevertheless, the Blues may want to capitalize on selling James while he still has solid value. Transfermarkt now rates the defender at about $54 million. This, however, is about $22 million less than what they claimed James was worth just 17 months ago. This drastic drop in value is certainly due to the player’s unfortunate injury history.
There have been rumors that James is happy to remain with the Blues and try to play before the end of the current campaign. The defender still even has hopes of being fit enough for the 2024 Euros in Germany. This particular tournament should not affect his plans at the club level though.
Real Madrid has been linked with a potential move for James for quite some time now. If the Blues were to receive a sizable offer for their captain this summer, they should take it. The decision would allow the club to reinvest in a fully fit player at the position, while also providing them with additional funds to help PSR concerns.
PHOTOS: IMAGO.