Chelsea right-back Reece James reportedly seems to be considering leaving London in order to play in a warmer climate with the likes of Barcelona or Benfica.
The 24-year-old has had an injury-plagued couple of years, meaning he’s barely been able to play for Chelsea and make the kind of impact we know he’s capable of, and it seems he’s now considering moving to a warmer climate to see if it can help with his fitness.
That’s according to a report from Football Transfers, who state that James’ representatives have sounded out Barcelona over a potential move, as well as another surprise club in the form of Benfica.
James is undoubtedly good enough for a big name like Barca as long as he’s fully fit, but Benfica is a surprise destination that most players of his calibre would probably see as a bit of a step down.
At the same time, however, James is perhaps now at the point where he just wants to ensure he’s able to keep playing regularly after making only 26 appearances in the Premier League in the last two years, with none so far this season.
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It would no doubt be seen as a bit of a blow for Chelsea to lose their club captain, but it perhaps makes sense that all options are on the table at this point in the England international’s career.
James looked like a hugely exciting young talent when he first broke onto the scene for the Blues, and the club’s fans would surely love to see this academy graduate eventually coming good for their first-team.
It might not be meant to be, however, and perhaps James can take better care of his career by moving to Spain or Portugal, where the weather would be better and the pace of the game also a bit slower, meaning he could perhaps put his injury woes behind him.