Chelsea identify £30m-rated Bundesliga defender as replacement for injured Reece James: Reports

Chelsea have reportedly identified Borussia Monchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi as a replacement for their injured captain Reece James.

James, 24, has made just five Premier League starts, eight games overall (nine across competitions) before the injury bug struck him again. The Blues captain injured his hamstring 26 minutes into the 2-0 league defeat at Everton last weekend and is out for an indefinite period.

Only Malo Gusto is the specialist full-back available in the squad, but he has had his injury woes, too. Hence, the Blues are planning to sign a new defender when the transfer window reopens in January.

As per TEAMtalk (via Four Four Two), the Blues are eyeing Monchengladbach's Elvedi. Although the 27-year-old Swiss is predominantly a centre-back, he can also play out wide in defence, thanks to his versatility.

Eveldi, who could be available for €30 million, is contracted with Monchengladbach till 2027. He has made 284 appearances for the Bundesliga side, contributing 15 goals and nine assists. That includes a goal in 14 appearances this season.

The aforementioned report says that Elvedi recently signed with super agent Pini Zahavi, who was key in bringing Christopher Nkunku to Stamford Bridge this summer.

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How many games Reece James has missed for Chelsea?

Chelsea captain Reece James has been injury-prone.

Reece James is one of the finest young full-backs in the world when fit, but the Englishman has struggled to steer clear of injuries for any significant stretch.

Following the departure of Chelsea's longstanding captain Cesar Azpilicueta this summer, new boss Mauricio Pochettino handed James the armband. However, the 24-year-old got injured on the opening day of the Premier League season, tearing his hamstring.

After missing nine games, James returned to action and played eight games before suffering a hamstring injury in the Everton game. Since his first-team Blues debut in 2019-20, he has missed a whopping 89 games due to various injuries.

Overall, James has made 89 appearances for the Blues, contributing 11 goals and 21 assists.