The 22/23 season is drawing to a close and Real Madrid are still in the game on all fronts. The team led by Carlo Ancelotti will play Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and will also fight for promotion to the final of the Copa del Rey – in the first leg they lost 0-1 to Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid are 12 points behind leaders Barcelona in the Spanish league. It is certain that the main goal of the Madrid players in the summer will be to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. But that may not be the only transfer they’ve made.
Media: Real Madrid is watching the Chelsea star. Valuation at EUR 70 million
Spanish daily AS reports that Real Madrid would like to buy a new right-back to increase the competition in this position. Players like Joao Cancelo (Bayern Munich), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Davide Calabria (AC Milan) and Reece James (Chelsea) are on the wish list. The club especially likes the latter candidate, who is valued at 70 million euros. Bringing James to Real Madrid will not be an easy task as he has a contract until June 2028.
An opportunity for Real Madrid could be the fact that Chelsea will have to sell players in the summer transfer window to balance the situation related to Financial Fair Play. “Circumstances may make the signing of the Englishman much closer than might be expected,” the article reads. A question mark for Real Madrid could possibly be the health situation of the footballer, who has missed as many as 69 matches since the start of the 19/20 season due to injuries. Both clubs will be competing in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, which could open the door to negotiations.
Reece James has made 18 appearances this season, scoring two goals and providing two assists. The Englishman is not the only Chelsea player who could join Real Madrid. The daily “AS” reports that the club could also be interested in Kai Havertz, whom he sought while playing for Bayer Leverkusen. Then it was not possible to lead to the transfer due to the coronavirus pandemic, and in September 2020 Chelsea spent as much as 80 million euros on Havertz.