Reece James fully committed to Chelsea despite Man City & Real Madrid interest

Reece James’ focus remains solely on helping Chelsea re-establish themselves as Premier League title contenders despite the interest in his services from Manchester City and Real Madrid, 90min understands.

James signed a six-year contract in 2022 and was named Chelsea captain this summer by new manager Mauricio Pochettino, with the 23-year-old right-back widely seen as one of the finest players in the world in his position.

James’ development has long been admired by Manchester City, who are aware of the impending need to replace 33-year-old Kyle Walker, but the Premier League champions are not believed to be working on a deal for the Chelsea skipper as it stands.

However, sources have confirmed to 90min that Real Madrid have an active interest in James. Carlo Ancelotti’s side are also in need of a younger right-back to take over from 31-year-old Dani Carvajal and the Chelsea star is among Madrid’s dream targets for the position.

Despite being aware of interest from the two teams, James is understood to be fully committed to the Chelsea project and is not entertaining the idea of leaving.

A switch to a direct Premier League rival, such as City, has been completely ruled out by James, while a move overseas is not something the home-grown fan favourite would consider until long into the future as his current goals revolve around success with Chelsea.

James dreams of leading Chelsea to trophies, particularly as captain, and is keen to rediscover his best form after an injury-hit 12 months.

Having managed just 16 Premier League appearances last season, James suffered another hamstring problem in the first game of the current campaign which kept him sidelined for over two months. But he has started each of Chelsea’s last two games and has played an integral role in turning the team’s fortunes around.

With James in the starting lineup, Chelsea bested Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 before securing a dramatic 4-4 draw with City at the weekend, and the 23-year-old is focused on building on that form and leading his club back towards the top of the standings.