Chelsea are eyeing young defender Ivan Fresneda following Reece James’ latest injury. The Real Valladolid right-back has been tipped to make a move this summer with Arsenal and Barcelona among the clubs linked with the 18-year-old.
An official bid has yet to be made, however, and the Blues have entered the race for his signature, as reported by ESPN. It’s said Blues chiefs are monitoring the defender’s situation at Jose Zorrilla Stadium and could launch a bid if they believe the teenager is willing to move to London.
It comes after Chelsea captain James picked up a fresh hamstring injury during the week, with it expected to keep him out of action for a number of weeks. “I think it’s a sad moment because he’s our captain,” Mauricio Pochettino said during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“He was so excited to be a captain, full of energy. I think we are going to assess him day-by-day as well as possible. For sure, he is going to become stronger than he was, we are going to help him to become stronger than before.”
The Argentine added: “Yes, it’s a hamstring. It’s not a few days, it’s maybe a few weeks. The good thing is that it’s not a good issue. The most important thing now is to worry about anticipating problems. When he plays again, we hope he’s stronger than he was before. We will assess him day-by-day and make a plan every day.”