European giants could rival Real Madrid for signature of Chelsea superstar Reece James - Reports

Real Madrid reportedly could face fresh competition from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the race to sign Chelsea captain Reece James.

Defensa Central (via The Hard Tackle) reports that Madrid are interested in James as they look to bolster their defence. Dani Carvajal, 31, will eventually need to be replaced in the long term, and the England international is regarded as one of the most impressive right-backs in Europe.

However, Los Blancos could be rivalled by Bayern in their pursuit of the 23-year-old. The Bavarians sold €30 million to Inter Milan in the summer, and midfielder Konrad Laimer has been performing as a makeshift right-back.

James has played under the Bundesliga champions' manager Thomas Tuchel, winning the UEFA Champions League in 2021. He has gone on to become one of Chelsea's most key players.

The English superstar has bagged 11 goals and 20 assists in 148 games across competitions at Stamford Bridge. He has only made one appearance this season due to a hamstring injury, though.

James has an admirer at Real Madrid in Vinicius Junior, who deems him to be one of the toughest opponents he's faced during his career (via One Football):

“I’ve played against a lot of them and the most difficult opponents were Chelsea’s (Reece) James and (Kyle) Walker,of Manchester City.”

The England international recently signed a new six-year contract with Chelsea last September, so Mauricio Pochettino's side are under no pressure to sell. He was appointed the Blues' captain at the start of the season.

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Chelsea's James could follow in footsteps of Real Madrid's newest superstar Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham (left) has flourished since arriving at Real Madrid.

James needn't look further for inspiration to swap his boyhood club for La Liga giants Real Madrid than Jude Bellingham. His England teammate made the move to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer from Borussia Dortmund for €103 million.

Bellingham, 20, has hit the ground running at Madrid with six goals and one assist in six games across competitions. He scored a last-gasp winner in Los Blancos' 1-0 UEFA Champions League win against Union Berlin on Wednesday (September 20).

English talent can sometimes be hesitant to leave the Premier League, as it's deemed by many as the best and most competitive league in the world. However, Bellingham snubbed the opportunity to return to his homeland and headed instead to the Santiago Bernabeu, where he has flourished.

Liverpool and Manchester City were reportedly interested in last season's Bundesliga Player of the Year. However, Bellingham decided Real Madrid were the club for him, deeming them 'the greatest club in the world' during his unveiling.