Photo by Scott Llewellyn/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Scott Llewellyn/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
It is a big season for Chelsea captain Reece James, however the club’s transfer business this summer has given him the best possible chance to succeed under Xabi Alonso.
James, now 26 years of age, is one of the more experienced players in the first team squad, and has been developing his leadership skills on the job.
He will be given a boost in that regard with the summer signings made by the club. Danny Welbeck, Maxence Lacroix and Jordan Henderson will all bring leadership and experience to the squad.
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Reece James can prove he is better than Trent Alexander-Arnold thanks to Jordan Henderson
Henderson in particular has played plenty of minutes alongside another quality right-back in Trent Alexander-Arnold when the pair were at Liverpool together.
The full-back was allowed to thrive at Anfield because of the hard work of Henderson. He was perfectly happy to drop in and cover as Alexander-Arnold attacked high and provided crosses.
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In an ideal world, this is the position James would love to cover, although the absence of a midfielder covering has limited his ability to do so. He doesn’t have the ability to go both ways due to his injury record.
When fit though, James is one of the best players in the league still, and has always had the talent to surpass the legacy of Alexander-Arnold in England.
Split image - Chelsea unveil new signing Jordan Henderson and Granit Xhaka of Sunderland applauds
Split image - Chelsea unveil new signing Jordan Henderson and Granit Xhaka of Sunderland applauds
Thomas Tuchel has already shown where he stands on the debate by only taking the Chelsea man to the World Cup out of the pair.
The former Blues boss showed a reliance on James to the point that his fitness struggled during the competition, something Chelsea have been working to avoid over the past 12 months.
This has included playing him in midfield at times, but doing that has only proving to limit his best abilities, which come attacking down the right.
Hopefully Henderson will allow James to do more of this again, in turn setting Chelsea up for a far more successful season in 2026/27.