Crystal Palace have reportedly seen their eight-figure bid for Reece James rejected by Chelsea.
According to a report from the Sunday People (21/7; page 58), Crystal Palace have seen a £20 million bid for Reece James rejected by Chelsea as the Eagles look for a replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Roy Hodgson’s men pocketed £50 million for the right-back following his move to Manchester United, and it appears that James was the man that Palace wanted to come in and fill the void.
James is one of the players that could well end up benefiting from the transfer ban that Chelsea are facing after a brilliant loan spell at Wigan Athletic last season.
The Sunday People (21/7; page 58) reports that the Blues have no interest in letting the 19-year-old leave while Frank Lampard may not be able to make any signings until next summer, and that is why Palace’s £20 million offer was turned down.
It will be a big blow to Palace’s plans that Chelsea have knocked back their bid. James appears to have the potential to be Wan-Bissaka’s replacement, and also offers a lot of versatility.
He played in several positions for Wigan last season, including at centre-back and in central midfield. He also scored three goals and provided three assists in the league, so £20 million had every chance of being a masterstroke move from the Eagles had Chelsea been willing to accept the offer.
With time running out in the transfer window, it will now be interesting to see whether Palace return with an improved offer or decide that they are fighting a losing battle and switch their attention elsewhere.
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