Chelsea ‘in contact’ with Real Madrid as Boehly looks to swap £80m-rated star for long-term Liverpool target
Chelsea will reportedly offer Reece James in a swap for Federico Valverde
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has made an approach to Real Madrid over a swap deal that could see Reece James offered as bait for an elite Los Blancos midfielder, according to an explosive report in Spain.
The American has spent his way through over £1bn since taking over from Roman Abramovich as Chelsea co-owner some 18 months ago. And having undergone the biggest spending spree yet over the summer, with just over £400m shelled out, their transfer splurges show no signs of slowing up any time soon.
Indeed, Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino has struggled to find any sort of consistency from his side this season. On one hand, they have recorded a handsome win over Tottenham, while also holding the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool to draws. They are also through to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, which gives the club their first shout at winning a trophy since they won the the Champions League in 2021.
On the other hand, however, the Blues have laboured through far too many games, suffering losses against the likes of Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Newcastle and generally struggling to pull up towards the upper reaches of the Premier League.
Now Boehly is setting his sights on two major January signings to help kickstart their season, with a new striker very much at the top of their radar.
Landing that player is easier said than done, with Chelsea already appearing to hit brick walls over their pursuit for a number of potential options.
However, the second signing on Boehly’s radar may well prove easier to pull off with far-fetched reports in Spain claiming a swap deal with Real Madrid is starting to take shape.
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Chelsea offer Reece James for Real Madrid star in swap – report
Per the report, Boehly is desperate to bring much-heralded Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde to the Bridge – and have been ‘in contact’ over a move that would see James offered up as part of a swap.
Los Blancos have been linked with James over recent times, with TEAMtalk revealing last month how officials at the Bernabeu were prepping an approach for the 16-times capped England man in 2024.
His deal at Stamford Bridge is not due to expire until 2028 and the Blues value the right-back and their club captain at a whopping £80m.
And while they had previously stated a ‘not-for-sale’ stance over their homegrown star, it’s claimed James could now be sacrificed if Real allow Valverde to move in the opposite direction.
At 25, Valverde is approaching his peak and he’s appeared in 24 matches across all competitions this season, despite the strong competition for places in their midfield.
Now in his sixth season at the Bernabeu, Valverde is no stranger to speculation linking him with the Premier League, with Liverpool persistently tipped to make a move and Jurgen Klopp very much an admirer of the Uruguayan.
Now it’s reported that Boehly feels that, despite spending well over £260m acquiring Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez, his side lack the forward drive in midfield that Valverde would provide.
However, despite their wish to bring in James as a long-term heir to Dani Carvajal, it seems highly unlikely Real Madrid would let Valverde depart as part of a swap.
Moreover, Valverde would unlikely be swayed by an approach by the Blues, with the 55-times capped midfielder recently undermining his commitment to Real Madrid by signing a mammoth new deal until summer 2029.
