Chelsea defender Reece James is ‘top of Real Madrid’s transfer wishlist’ with Blues set for huge summer clearout

A REPORT in Spain has claimed that Real Madrid have placed Reece James “top of their transfer wishlist”.

The England international wing-back, 23, has become a key member of the Chelsea side over recent seasons.

AlamyReece James is allegedly top of Real Madrid’s transfer wishlist[/caption]

And after returning from the knee injury that ruled him out of the World Cup, he is now an integral part of Graham Potter’s plans.

James penned a new six-year contract last September that ties him to Chelsea until the summer of 2028.

However, AS are reporting that Madrid is top of their list of potential new right-backs.

The Blues have lost a number of key players to the LaLiga giants over the years.

Both Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois were sold to them in big-money deals while Antonio Rudiger moved to the Bernabeu on a free transfer when his contract expired last summer.

The Blues may have to offload a number of talents once the window re-opens to help balance the books after their huge outlay under Todd Boehly.

But while Madrid now have a strong interest in James, Sun Sport understands that Chelsea have no desire to sell.

And that will ultimately force Los Blancos to look elsewhere to bolster their backline.

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Manchester City outcast Joao Cancelo, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich, is mooted as one potential target.

And former Tottenham flop Juan Foyth has emerged as another.

The 25-year-old has regained top form since joining Villarreal and is currently impressing in the Spanish top-flight.