- Havertz has left Blues for the Gunners
- Jorginho took same decision in January
- Home-grown star intends to stay put
WHAT HAPPENED? The Blues star has seen Kai Havertz tread that path in a £65 million ($82m) deal this summer, while Jorginho traded life in the west of the English capital for that in the north during the January window. There appears to be little chance of James heading in the same direction any time soon, with the 23-year-old endearing himself further to the Stamford Bridge natives after seeing one Arsenal fan tweet: “Reece James to Arsenal, who says no?”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: James’ response to that question was, “I say no”, with the wider Chelsea family delighting in that brutal shutdown. The Premier League giants pointed out that the England international right-back is “one of our own”, while Blues supporters from around the world revelled in seeing local rivals knocked back.
WHAT NEXT? James made his senior debut for Chelsea in 2019 and is now up to 147 appearances for the club, claiming a Champions League winners’ medal along the way, while his contract is due to run until 2028.