Unless you support FC Barcelona, it is probably fair to say that everyone dreams of playing for Real Madrid. You might have your own allegiance and love to a team, but Madrid hold a unique sway. The famous kit, the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the endless list of trophies and accolades. Who wouldn’t want to play for Madrid at least for one game? For many clubs, this is the problem they face. A player can be uniquely content and happy, but if Madrid come in for them they might agitate to leave.
They say that the train to Madrid only arrives once; say no, and they will move on. For some Chelsea fans, then, the worry has been that the express train to Madrid might be arriving at the Reece James station in the near future. The wing-back has become a darling of the support, with many seeing him as one of the most important players in both the present team and the future.
Indeed, many see James as a future club captain and one who could go on to emulate the likes of John Terry as a proper club legend. Reports of a move to Madrid have been going on for some time, though, and this stems from the ownership situation.
With the club unable to hand out new deals until recently, precious time was lost as James, 22, entered a key part of his contract. Blues are not keen to sell whatsoever, but the fear was that a bid on the table from Madrid could turn his head and thus put the club in a tough position.
However, James has spoken out about this now and told BBC Sport that he has absolutely not ambitions beyond wearing the blue shirt of Chelsea.
What did Reece James say about signing for Real Madrid?
When asked about where his future would lie by the reporter, James was clear that he seen himself one place and one place only: West London. On that note, he said: “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,
“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.”
The wing-back was also asked on what he felt went wrong last year. The club was in a position to challenge for everything, but ended up with a dour league campaign, an early exit from Europe from a position of strength, and a humbling penalty defeat in both domestic cup finals to Liverpool. On that note, and whether or not Chelsea can win the league, James added: “Yeah for sure [we can fight for the title]. Last season, we had a lot of injuries. 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.”
Exciting times ahead, then, and hopefully involving one of the most beloved players in the current squad.
