Jason Cundy believes Chelsea might have to show more ambition with their recruitment if they are to convince Reece James to extend his current deal.James is under contract until 2028, and come the end...
Jason Cundy believes Chelsea might have to show more ambition with their recruitment if they are to convince Reece James to extend his current deal.
James is under contract until 2028, and come the end of the season will have two years remaining on his existing deal.
Under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership that represents the point where you either sign a new deal or get sold, in order to avoid players running their contracts down.
Jason Cundy on Reece James future
James has been at Chelsea his entire career and came through the club’s famed Cobham academy, and was named club captain at the start of the 2023/2024 season.
The 26-year-old has won the Champions League, Conference League and Club World Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
James has got a chance of lifting more silverware this season with the Blues still in the Champions League and both domestic cups.
James will have two years left on his existing deal at the end of the season. (Photo by Chris Lee/Chelsea FC)
However, Cundy feels Chelsea might have to show more ambition, especially with their recruitment if they are to get James to extend his current deal.
“Watch this space,” he told talkSPORT.
“They are going to have to do something about that. We need to keep Reece James. Let me tell you now, we need to get Reece around a table and sign a new contract.
“We’ve seen what Trent did at Liverpool. If it gets to 18 months left, you can’t allow him to get into his final year because then he will potentially walk for nothing.
“One of the things I understood from the new owners when they came in was they were astonished that we allowed Rudiger and Christensen – worth well over £100m between them two of them – to walk on a free.
“They could not get around the fact that the previous regime allowed that to happen. So I will be stunned and amazed if they allowed Reece to have so much power without signing a new contract.”
Jason Cundy warns Chelsea about current model
Cundy also pointed out that without short term success, players like James may think about moving elsewhere.
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“A career is not long in football and players do want to see where they are going if I sign my next three or four years away, what does that landscape look like for me individually and collectively,” he added.
“And if Reece decides that this model, this project is not quite for me now, and he decides he wants to leave, unfortunately, the club may well have to be forced to sell him in the summer.”
Category: General Sports
