Real Madrid reportedly retain an interest in the signing of Chelsea defender Reece James.
At the beginning of the season, the full-back was made the Blues captain by new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, with the move deemed a natural progression for the academy graduate.
However, the 24-year-old has endured another frustrating campaign and has been restricted to just 451 minutes in all competitions due to injury.
Having undergone hamstring surgery in December, it remains unclear whether the England international will be risked at any point during the run-in.
Over the weekend, though, it was claimed that James may be made available for transfer by co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital as they consider ways to generate the necessary funds to fulfil the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.
© Reuters
Is a Reece James sale realistic?
The report in question suggested that Boehly and Clearlake would look to try to sell James for a fee in the region of £60m.
As it stands, a club being willing to pay that figure for a player who has well-documented injury issues and would need to prove that his hamstring surgery was a success appears unlikely.
Furthermore, James is yet to sufficiently experience the responsibility of wearing the captain's armband at his boyhood club, while his contract runs until the end of 2027-28.
Nevertheless, according to Fichajes, Real are continuing to monitor the situation as they consider whether to step up their long-term interest in the player.
© Reuters
Real Madrid's right-back dilemmas
Although Real are sitting at the top of the La Liga standings and hold a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals, Carlo Ancelotti has issues to solve at right-back.
Long-term incumbent Dani Carvajal is now 32 years of age, as is deputy Lucas Vazquez, and neither are viewed as long-term options in that position.
Nacho is another alternative well into his thirties, and it may become a problematic area of the pitch for Real unless they bring into a more youthful option in the near future.
That said, focus is currently on trying to make any move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe official, with Alphonso Davies seemingly being targeted as the club's new left-back.
As such, and given James's injury issues, the report suggests that Los Blancos may only be prepared to offer €40m (£34.2m) for the Englishman, a proposal that would give Chelsea plenty of food for thought.
