Chelsea 'preparing to open contract talks with Reece James'

The 22-year-old still has three years left to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge, but there has recently been speculation surrounding his future in the English capital.

Manchester City and Real Madrid are believed to be admirers of the England international, with the duo thought to be keeping a close eye on the developments surrounding him.

According to i, Chelsea are keen to sign James to a new contract and will open talks with his representatives 'within the next few weeks'.

The report claims that new Blues owner Todd Boehly is a 'huge admirer' of the right-back and wants to hand him an improved deal to reflect his importance to the club.

James is allegedly on around £80,000 a week at Chelsea, meaning that he is one of the lowest earners in terms of the first-team players at Stamford Bridge.

The Englishman came through the youth system with the Blues, turning professional in March 2017, but he had a successful loan spell at Wigan Athletic in 2018-19 before becoming an important player for the London club.

James featured on 37 occasions in all competitions in 2019-20, while he has also been a key player in the last two seasons, featuring 39 times during the 2021-22 campaign.

The defender contributed six goals and 10 assists last term, as Chelsea finished third in the Premier League table, in addition to making the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The Blues were also in the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals last season, losing to Liverpool on both occasions.

James has won the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge, though, and he has also been capped on 13 occasions by the English national team.

The right-back is widely expected to be named in the England squad for the 2022 World Cup, meanwhile, despite Three Lions head coach Gareth Southgate having a number of options in that area of the field.

Chelsea are currently preparing for their first friendly of the summer against America, while they also have confirmed pre-season clashes against Charlotte FC, Arsenal and Udinese.

The Blues will open their 2022-23 Premier League season against Everton on August 6 before taking on Tottenham Hotspur in their second match of the campaign one week later.

Thomas Tuchel's side are yet to make a first-team signing this summer, but it is believed that they are on the verge of securing a deal for Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling.