Reece James’ new contract details confirmed as fresh Chelsea terms revealed | OneFootball

Chelsea have confirmed that captain Reece James has signed a new six-year contract with the club.

The 26-year-old's previous contract ran until June 2028, so it is easy to see why Chelsea decided to negotiate a new deal with the defender.

James is obviously a key player, one of the best players at the club, as well as a leader and an important figure in the dressing room.

When he is fit and is not under workload management, he starts.

This is shown by the fact that he has featured in 26 of Chelsea's 29 Premier League games so far this season, 19 of which were as a starter.

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Chelsea announced on Friday that the England international has signed a new contract that ties him to the club until 2032.

"I am over the moon to have extended my contract - Chelsea means so much to me," James said in the official statement.

"I have always said I want my peak years to be here, and I truly believe we have everything it takes to build on our previous successes.

"I’m excited for the future under this ownership, Sporting Directors, Coach and all the staff, and hopefully we will lift many more trophies together over the coming years."

The Athletic claims that the new deal sees him align with the incentivised wage structure Chelsea adopted since the BlueCo takeover in 2022.

The BBC added that James remains the highest-paid player at the club on £250,000 a week.

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James has struggled with several injuries throughout his Chelsea career, especially the hamstring problems that forced him to undergo surgery and miss large parts of the last two seasons.

Chelsea have since been cautiously managing his minutes, which has proved beneficial, since James has missed just five games due to minor injuries so far this season.

The Athletic mentioned that the announcement of James' extended deal, while it will be welcomed by everyone in the dressing room, may also prompt other players to try to renegotiate their own deals.

Earlier reports suggested that at least three other key Chelsea players, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Levi Colwill, had already sought to enter negotiations for improved deals.