Chelsea ‘need to now take action’ in the transfer market following Reece James’ latest injury setback, journalist Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.
The 23-year-old has endured a stop-start season due to a recurring knee problem and with no natural replacement in the first-team squad, signing a new right wing-back may be a priority for Graham Potter in January.
Chelsea news – Reece James
James was left out of England’s World Cup squad after failing to regain full fitness in time, and he lasted just 53 minutes before being substituted against Bournemouth in Chelsea’s first game back after the mid-season pause.
"Defender Reece James underwent assessment earlier today after being substituted during the second half of last night's 2-0 Premier League victory over AFC Bournemouth due to a knee injury,” a club statement read.
"Scan results have regrettably confirmed a setback for the 23-year-old, with Reece now set to be ruled out for up to a month."
As per Transfermarkt, James, who earns £250,000-per-week, has already missed 67 games for Chelsea through injury since the beginning of 2019/20, highlighting the problems he has staying off the treatment table.
What has Jones said about Chelsea?
When asked by GMS if James’ persistent injury issues are now becoming a major concern for Chelsea, Jones disclosed that he believes ‘it’s a problem’ for the capital club.
Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know
He said: “Yeah, I think it's a problem. Now, you could probably compare it to what Liverpool have just done.
“Luis Diaz suffering his injury led to Liverpool taking pretty immediate action and signing Cody Gakpo, and now Chelsea need to find their own version of this because the Reece James injury means they need to now take action and find a new version of James, basically.”
Who could Chelsea sign?
One target seemingly identified as a possible option at right-back is Celtic’s in-demand star Josip Juranovic.
Fabrizio Romano has stated that the Croatia international is ‘on the radar’ of ‘many clubs’ thanks to his impressive showings at the World Cup and that the Hoops are ‘open to discussions’.
And Sky Sports have since claimed that Chelsea have begun internal discussions over potential options to bring in cover and competition for James, with Juranovic on their wish list.
The west London outfit may have to fend off interest from both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, though, as they are also said to be monitoring Juranovic’s situation closely.