Reece James Hoping to End His Injury Hell with a Move From Stamford Bridge

The 24-year-old Chelsea captain is said to be considering his future in an attempt to thwart the injury concerns that have hampered his promising career. 

Since coming through the ranks, James has made more than 100 appearances for the Chelsea first team, as well as earning 16 caps for England. However, this number should be much higher if not for injuries. In the past five seasons, he hasn’t made more than 25 league starts despite being the club’s highest earner on £250,000 per week. 

Since their 2021 Champions League victory, Chelsea has struggled with a constantly changing squad, but now their plethora of young stars seem to be hitting form and they could be a formidable outfit in the coming years.

They are currently the fourth favourite among bookmakers for the Premier League title. While Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool are ahead of them at present, they have youth on their side.

Sports betting expert Peter Addison reviews the best sportsbook sites and Chelsea has seen their odds being cut thanks to performances from Cole Palmer who is second behind runaway favourite Erling Haaland to finish top scorer.

Despite fortune’s appearing to change at Chelsea, Reece James could see his future somewhere else with the hope of prolonging his career. The warmer weather in southern Europe could help in the long term, and he has been linked with a move to Spain or Portugal.

James signed a six-year contract in 2022 that won’t end until June 2028, and his astronomical weekly wage is likely to put a lot of teams off. However, a deal could be worked out like that of Raheem Sterling who moved to Arsenal on loan with Chelsea covering a large percentage of his wages.

If he completes a permanent move away from the club, there won’t be too many clubs that will be able to afford a transfer fee and his wages, but there has been some talk of Barcelona and Real Madrid being interested.

If he can put his injuries behind him, any suitor would get a young, proven defender who could be one of the best right full-backs in the world.

A move to Portugal might not net him the same type of wage he could expect at a Spanish giant, but when you consider some of the talent that Porto and Benfica have developed over the last few years, he could use the move to get back on track before earning a big money move.

Persistent knee and hamstring injuries have seen him miss 129 first-team games at Chelsea, but the latest news from the Chelsea camp is that he has returned to training.

Enzo Maresca won’t want to push him before he is ready. If he wants to hold on to Reece James, he will need to make sure he is fully fit and if he plans on letting him go, he will have to be match fit.

Chelsea’s huge squad means they have a lot of cover for all positions, but the fact that Reece James came through their academy and is the club captain makes it all the more frustrating that he has struggled to string a good run of games together.