Second source confirms £90m Real Madrid raid on Chelsea is coming, as private Boehly feelings on shock sale emerge

A second source has confirmed Real Madrid will move for a Chelsea star they cannot afford to lose this summer, and the club’s thoughts regarding a mooted £90m bid have emerged.

The Blues have been world football’s biggest spenders over the last two transfer windows. North of £500m has been spent, though results on the field have not reflected their ambition in the market.

Indeed, Graham Potter paid the price for steering his side to 11th place in the Premier League on Sunday night. Barring winning the Champions League, Chelsea will not be a participant in next season’s UCL.

That will play havoc with the club’s future finances and add to the pressure that’s already building over Financial Fair Play.

Something of a fire-sale has been cited by multiple outlets as being on the cards this summer. Among those who could make way include Edouard Mendy, Mateo Kovacic, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

However, according to a recent report by Spanish outlet AS, Chelsea could soon face a difficult decision regarding a player they’d much rather keep.

AS claimed Real Madrid were plotting an audacious swoop for Reece James that was termed ‘much more within reach than might be expected’.

Aged just 23, James is already among the world’s best right-backs and his status as a homegrown player makes him even more valuable to Chelsea.

However, the club’s impending financial difficulties are understood to be emboldening Real to strike. They’re looking for a long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal and James has admirers in high places at the Bernabeu.

Now, a second source in Football Insider has added fuel to the fire. This time, it’s even revealed how much Real are expected to bid.

A whopping £90m offer is reportedly in the works – a figure that would make James the most expensive defender of all time.

READ MORE: Chelsea to interview Pochettino and four other managers to replace Potter – but Todd Boehly might miss talks

Chelsea response to Reece James speculation

The idea of losing James will be unthinkable to Chelsea fans. Thankfully for those of a Blues persuasion, it’s acknowledged Todd Boehly and co. are ‘confident’ they’ll be able to fend Real off.

James signed a new contract just last September that committed his future at Stamford Bridge until 2028. As such, the Blues are under no pressure from a contract perspective and there’s also no indication James actually wants to leave.

Yet that won’t stop Real from chancing their arm for a player who’s apparently their ‘priority’ target at right-back. That tallies with AS’s claim James heads a four-man shortlist of right-sided defenders.

The others on their radar are Joao Cancelo (Man City), Juan Foyth (Villarreal) and Davide Calabria (AC Milan). Fabrizio Romano recently confirmed Bayern Munich won’t activate the €70m option to buy in Cancelo’s loan deal.

Real may be forced into moving for one of the three alternatives if Chelsea stick to their guns, with Cancelo the highest profile of the trio.