Chelsea new owner Todd Boehly ‘makes it personal mission to keep Reece James and offer him new long-term deal’
NEW Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has reportedly made it a 'personal mission' to try and keep Reece James by offering him a new long-term deal.
The Blues would like to ease emerging doubts over James' future amid links to Real Madrid and Manchester City.
According to the , owner Boehly has made a decisive move to resolve James' "contractual situation", with the player currently picking up around £70,000-a-week.
Tying the academy product down to a new deal is one of the club's top priorities.
However, formal discussions over fresh terms are yet to get underway.
Talks could get underway once the summer transfer window closes at the end of August.
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The 22-year-old has been one of Chelsea's most important players, especially under Thomas Tuchel's tenure.
James helped the Blues win their second-ever Champions League last summer when Chelsea defeated Man City in the Porto final.
Tuchel has said he wishes he could clone key player James.
In April, the German said: "I would love to have two of Reece James, that would solve the problem, it’s like 50 per cent towards wing-back and 45 per cent towards the back three.
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"It depends a little bit on how the opponent plays against us.
"Do we expect a lot of possession, how is their structure for their offensive transition.
"For this it can sometimes be helpful for Reece to play in the back three and be the first guy to cover in the transition and to not be involved in the attack.
"We have his speed and physicality in the protection of the opponents counter-attack.
"I’m a bit more into that his very best position is the wing-back position where he is perhaps even more decisive, more useful but it is more demanding.
"The next step is to be a regular player over 50, 55, 60 matches and from there we have to decide that those positions are filled with top quality with him."
Boehly has taken it upon himself to deal with Chelsea's in and outgoing transfers following Marina Granovskaia's exit from Stamford Bridge.
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The American is currently overseeing Romelu Lukaku's loan exit from the club.
Lukaku looks set to return to Inter Milan, the club he left for Chelsea in a club record transfer last summer.