Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson believes the chances of Reece James moving to Manchester City depend on two key factors.

Speaking to GGRecon, Johnson said that, firstly, the Blues captain would have to be prepared to join another English club and, secondly, the project at Chelsea would need to fail, for a transfer to become a realistic prospect.

“If Reece James was to ever leave Chelsea for a Premier League rival, then it would definitely be for Manchester City. I can’t imagine him going to a fellow London team and it would be Manchester City purely because they’ll be competing at the very top for years to come.

“Players want to win things, so those links would definitely grab his attention. Chelsea wouldn’t want him to leave, the price tag would be astronomical and that’s what’s going to make this move very unlikely.”

“In terms of the player himself, of course, if Chelsea don’t bounce back and get to the point again where they’re fighting for honours across all fronts, then of course the move to Manchester City will pique his interest.”

City do have an interest in James

As Johnson points out, the likelihood that the England international will move teams is very low at the moment. Nonetheless, it is widely known that City boss Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the fullback.

Even before James signed his new contract back in September last year, the Premier League champions had been mentioned as potential suitors by respected sources.

James is currently only willing to move abroad

The biggest issue City have is trying to convince the player. Last month, it was reported that James is not prepared to join another Premier League club.

While the 23-year-old is said to be more open to making the switch to Real Madrid in the future, signing for City is not something he would consider.

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