Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has placed defender Reece James high on his list of transfer targets and will test the resolve of Chelsea ’s new owners to keep him in the summer.
James’s performances over the two legs of the Blues’ Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid were closely scrutinised by Ancelotti’s scouting department.
And Real have now watched the England right-back at least nine times this season. Ancelotti wants to reshape his squad at the Bernabeu, and he and his technical staff believe James could well be the man they are looking for on the right side of their defence.
The plan is for the La Liga champions-elect to ship out several players this summer to free up funds for a shake-up.
And, if they get the deals they hope to done, then James will be among those players they go after. Much will depend on the consortium which takes over from Roman Abramovich at Chelsea.
They will, of course, speak to boss Thomas Tuchel and then have the final say on whether James is available or not. The 22-year-old’s deal at Stamford Bridge still has three more years to run and Real know the price would be high. But sources close to the club say they believe James has many years of steep progression ahead of him and would be a top-quality signing.
Meanwhile, Tuchel claimed £97.5million striker Romelu Lukaku has been left out of his starting line-up in recent weeks due to a lack of fitness. Belgium international Lukaku has not started a Premier League game since the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on February 19 and was left out of their side for the FA Cup semi-final against the Eagles after recovering from a heel problem.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Chelsea cash in on James? Let us know in the comments section
Tuchel, who originally said he was prepared to give Lukaku a chance to impress him at Wembley on Sunday, instead had doubts over his fitness as the former Manchester United striker watched from the bench with Kai Havertz and Timo paired in attack.
And Tuchel, who signed the 28-year-old from Inter Milan, was blunt in his assessment of Lukaku's situation when asked why he was not picked.
Tuchel told ITV Sport: "He's not fit enough to play 90 minutes, not fit enough for the intensity of our game, it's as easy as that. He had an injury, he missed minutes, so his match fitness isn't there, otherwise there's a big chance he'd be playing.”
Lukaku did eventually make it on to the pitch in the 77th minute once Mason Mount had made it 2-0 after Ruben Loftus-Cheek had put the Blues in front at Wembley. Tuchel suggested Lukaku should be hungry to make an impression from the bench when called upon, although a shocking late miss against Palace would not have helped his cause.
Tuchel added: "Wait, be patient, work hard and put the team first, be ready to help the team, because as a striker you can help within seconds. Especially for strikers, things can be turned around in minutes, in moments. Whole careers can be upside down and in any direction but always as a striker you can have a chance to put things into your favour, as a substitute or if you have the chance to perform from the beginning.”
