Everton opinion: Should the Toffees sign Reece James?

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Everton are set to battle it out with Swansea for Chelsea’s exciting young defender Reece James in the summer.

The 19-year-old had an impressive loan spell with Championship side Wigan Athletic last season and his performances have attracted interest from the Toffees.

James is under contract at Chelsea till the summer of 2022 but the chances of him getting regular game time are highly unlikely considering that Cesar Azpilicueta has cemented that role for himself over the last few years.

Chelsea have the unwanted history of moving on highly-rated young players despite a few of them having the potential to be absolute world beaters in the future. Reece James could well be the next one in a long list of players who left Stamford Bridge to succeed elsewhere.

James was a shining light in an otherwise terrible campaign for Wigan, which saw them drop down to the League One. James missed just one game all season and his performances earned him the captain’s armband on the final day of the season despite only being 19 years old.

James would be a very good fit at Everton considering the problems that they have faced at right full-back this season.

Seamus Coleman and Jonjoe Kenny both struggled to adapt to Marco Silva’s system earlier in the season and the despite the former’s good run of form in the final stages of the season, they will need to bring in a new right-back.

Jonjoe Kenny has joined Bundesliga side Schalke on a season-long loan deal, which makes the need for a new player there even more important and Marco Silva is right to have targeted young Reece James, who would be perfect at Goodison next season.

Despite naturally being a full-back, James’ exceptional technical ability on the ball earned him a place in the centre of the park for Wigan this season.

The Englishman looked flawless in his new role, which is a huge positive for a club like Everton, who will need versatile options in their squad to achieve their ambitions in the coming years.

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Conclusion

Losing Reece James would certainly be a big loss for Chelsea but their loss can turn into Everton’s gain if the Toffees can get his signature in the summer.

The teenager has the potential to be one of the very best in the coming years and playing regularly for Everton will certainly accelerate the process.