It has been claimed that Manchester City could sign Reece James as a long-term replacement for Kyle Walker in 18 months’ time.
With the City right-back set to turn 34 in May, he is not getting any younger, which is why it seems like the club may find a successor to his throne sooner rather than later according to journalist Martin Lipton, who was speaking to Last Word On Spurs (via YouTube).
Reece James is contracted to Chelsea until 2028, having signed a brand-new deal in September 2022.
Journalist: Manchester City will sign Reece James to replace Kyle Walker in 18 months
With the £50 million (Guardian) man’s current deal at Manchester City set to expire in 2026, only time will tell whether he can produce another two top seasons at the elite level.
Having tasted his first bit of Premier League action for Tottenham Hotspur in 2009, it is likely that Walker’s best days could be behind him even before his contract at the Etihad Stadium runs out, having played at the highest level for nearly one and a half decade already.
Martin Lipton believes that Chelsea could look to offload Reece James in 18 months, who could become the replacement for Kyle Walker at Manchester City.
“If Chelsea identify a new player they really need and the only way to make those numbers add up is to sell [Conor] Gallagher, then it’s not inconceivable in the next week. It’s more likely in the summer.”
“I think that within the next 18 months, both Gallagher and [Reece] James will have been sold by Chelsea and James will go to Man City as the replacement for [Kyle] Walker. The new owners have never seen James play well and if they can get £80 million for him they will”, he told Last Word On Spurs.
Reece James would be a risky signing for the Sky Blues
As exceptional a right-back as Reece James is and a potentially ideal replacement for Kyle Walker, Manchester City would be taking a gamble by signing him, in our view,
After all, James’ career has been plagued by injuries at Stamford Bridge so far.
Even this season, the Champions League winner has started a mere five games for Chelsea in the Premier League.
During the 2022/2023 campaign as well, the Englishman made only 14 starts in the league. As a result, unless City expect James’ availability to drastically improve by the time they intend to target his signature, it may be far too much of a risk to secure his services.
