COLUMBUS, OHIO - AUGUST 03: Reece James #24 of Chelsea plays in a pre-season match against Manchester City at Ohio Stadium on August 03, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.

Chelsea captain could consider a move to Barcelona for health-related reasons

Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images

Certain market opportunities for FC Barcelona end up revealing themselves rather spontaneously. Even if the Catalan giants are not actively looking for certain players, specific situations can completely change that view. Moreover, given the financial issues that Barcelona is dealing with, it is perhaps always a good idea to consider interesting opportunities.

Over the last few seasons, due to Barça’s limited spending capabilities, the Catalan giants have looked into a lot of promising market opportunities. Even recently, following the injury to Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Barcelona acted swiftly to secure the services of Wojciech Szczesny thanks to a special ruling from La Liga.

Now, however, it would appear that a different kind of possibility is shaping up for the Catalan club to explore if they wish to. This particular situation is linked to a certain defender from the English Premier League, and the conditions creating such a window of opportunity are rather peculiar.

According to the information provided by Mundo Deportivo, 24-year-old Chelsea captain Reece James could consider signing for Barcelona moving forward. The reason behind this potential change of scenery is reportedly related to health-related issues that the player wishes to address now.

Reportedly, the player has been recommended a change of climate by his own physiotherapists as they believe a warmer region, compared to the relatively colder climate of London, would allow the Chelsea right-back to leave behind his consistent injury woes. Even right now, James has been sidelined for around 86 days and continues to work on his recovery.

As such, the options of both FC Barcelona and SL Benfica have been suggested to him as good destinations for his particular case. While he currently has a contract until 2028 with the London-based club, the €35 million-rated English fullback is still seeking a transfer to a Southern European club.

However, other sources claim that the player’s focus for now remains on making his return for Chelsea this season. After having been frequently injured in the past, even for durations that have gone on as long as 154 days with a single injury, the player now wishes to get on the field again.

Simultaneously, however, Chelsea could look positively as a possible departure for him as it would help them reduce their ever-growing wage bill as well. It is still too early to have a definitive answer, but this saga could be an interesting one to keep an eye on.

Tags Chelsea Reece James Reece James Barcelona