Reece James' father, Nigel, has admitted that he was 'gobsmacked' after Real Madrid registered interest in his son. The 23-year-old defender was heavily linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu following a meteoric rise to superstardom under Thomas Tuchel.
During the German's tenure at Stamford Bridge, James played a major role in one of the most successful periods in the Blues' history, winning the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. On the west Londoners' road to becoming European champions, Chelsea waltzed past Real Madrid in the semi-final and James certainly caught Carlo Ancelotti's eye.
Then, a year later, the two sides met again in the quarter-final. Reports from Spain later suggested that Los Blancos' entourage of scouts and technical staff were left impressed by the Cobham graduate and noted him as a replacement for Dani Carvajal.
