Reece James has been talking about Chelsea’s summer transfer window thus far with the Blues captain ‘devastated’ by one decision made by the west Londoners
Reece James has been left “devastated” by Marc Cucurella’s departure from Chelsea after the defender completed a £51.7million move to Real Madrid just less than a week ago.
The Blues and Los Blancos reached a swift agreement last weekend for Cucurella to move to the Santiago Bernabeu, with the Spanish giants paying the west Londoners a £47.4m fixed fee with £4.3m worth of add-ons. The left-back ended his almost-four-year stay at Stamford Bridge to move to the Spanish capital on a contract that runs until 2032.
From Chelsea’s point of view, once Cucurella informed the club of his desire to leave this summer, they had no plan to block a move as long as they got the right fee for the Spain international. James, who is currently in the United States representing England in the World Cup, was asked by eSPORTY about his thoughts on Chelsea allowing Cucurella to leave – and he is not happy.
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“I spoke with him [Cucurella] a few days ago,” said the Chelsea captain. “He’s obviously an amazing player – one of the best left-backs in the world.
“This is his football, you know, players move every few months, and I’m devastated to see him go, but I wish him all the best.”
With more than £50m earned from the sale of Cucurella, Chelsea, sources say, are targeting – at the very least – two starting-level players before the end of the summer transfer window. It is no secret that BlueCo, the ownership group whose transfer strategy has been youth-centric since taking over at Stamford Bridge in 2022, have tweaked their recruitment model this summer.
With Xabi Alonso working closely with the club’s sporting leadership team, there will be more of a focus on bringing in ‘ready-made’ and already established players. Last season showed the immaturity and lack of mental fortitude from the squad and senior figures within the club are looking to address that this summer.
Chelsea have a number of key positions – including centre-back, central midfield and left wing – on their agenda this summer. In terms of names, club insiders are keeping their cards close to their chest. Things could speed up when Alonso officially begins his role as Chelsea manager on July 1.
