Chelsea defender Reece James has been one of the most sought-after players in the summer transfer window after a string of impressive displays in the 2021-22 campaign. The right-back has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge over the past few months as European giants such as Real Madrid have taken an active interest in his services.
GOAL reported in April that Madrid had contacted Chelsea over James' availability, but the Blues are reluctant to sell, and the England international has now come out to silence speculation over his future once and for all.
What did Reece James say about his future at Chelsea?
James is currently in the United States on a pre-season tour with his other clubmates. The 22-year-old has closed all doors to a potential move away from Chelsea due to his lifelong love for the club.
"I’d like to think [my future is at Stamford Bridge]. I grew up as a Chelsea fan and you know I made my name playing for Chelsea, the club I’ve always supported but I don’t see why anything would change. I play for Chelsea now and I’m enjoying it," James told BBC Sport when quizzed on a potential move to Real Madrid.
"It is an exciting time. Not much changes from the players or the management's point of view. I still want to win every competition and every game. There's no reason why we can't do that."
Can Chelsea compete with Liverpool & Manchester City for the title?
James enjoyed a brilliant start to the 2021-22 season, scoring once and assisting twice in his first three Premier League outings. He helped the Blues mount a fleeting title challenge before a hamstring injury suffered in January left him sidelined him for a considerable period of time.
Other key players also missed out on important fixtures which saw the Blues run out of gas in the race for the Premier League trophy, and James believes that if the squad remains fit then they can give Liverpool and champions Manchester City a real run for their money in 2022-23.
"Yeah for sure [we can fight for the title]. Last season, we had a lot of injuries," he added. "Myself and others had long spells out and it affected the team a lot. Around Christmas we were on top of the table, injuries affected us. This season, if we stay fit & healthy. There’s no reason we can’t be in and around again," he stated."