English Premier League (EPL) side Manchester City are reportedly targeting Chelsea captain Leo James.
“City are interested in signing Chelsea full-back James as a replacement for Kyle Walker in the not-too-distant future,” Manchester’s local newspaper Manchester Evening News reported on Wednesday (Aug. 13), citing British outlet The Independent.토토사이트
Walker joined City from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2017. City spent €56 million ($789 million) on his signing. Since joining City, Walker has become a key defensive resource in Pep Guardiola’s tactics. He spent nearly six years at City, scoring six goals and providing 19 assists in 270 official appearances. Walker lifted 15 trophies with City.
While City enjoyed a period of glory with Walker, he is now a 33-year-old veteran. As he enters his 30s, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a dip in form at some point. Walker has remained consistent this season with one assist in 17 games, but it’s time to consider alternatives.
One player City are keeping an eye on is Chelsea’s James. He’s a resource that came up through the Chelsea youth system. He’s a fullback, but he’s very athletic, standing at 6’2″. He’s a fullback, but he’s also very physical, standing at 6’2″.
James started to get first-team opportunities in the 2019/20 season, making 39 appearances. He has since expanded his position at Chelsea. In 2020/21, he scored one goal and provided five assists in 47 games, helping Chelsea win the UEFA Champions League. In 2021/22, he had six goals and 10 assists in 39 games.
The downside to James is his injury prone nature; he’s been injured 17 times for Chelsea since his professional debut. Even last season, he only played 24 games due to hamstring, calf, and other injuries. This season, he was named Chelsea’s captain, but was sidelined for nearly two months with a hamstring injury early in the season.
Aside from Chelsea, James has also been linked to Real Madrid. “Real Madrid are monitoring James as they prepare to replace Dani Carvajal,” Goal.com reported on Thursday. It remains to be seen if James will leave Chelsea for another club.