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Xabi Alonso says he believes Reece James can become one of the best midfielders in the world — and that Chelsea’s midfield is deep enough to deal with injury setbacks.
That is despite the fact Chelsea wanted to have one midfielder more than they are heading into the first half of the season with, following the dramatic collapse of their £47m deal to sign Lamine Camara when Monaco pulled out at the last minute despite a written email agreement.
Following the Camara deal breaking down and the £125m club-record sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City, Chelsea have been left with Moises Caicedo, Valentin Barco, Jordan Henderson and Romeo Lavia as their only midfielders.
Alongside those four, in the manager’s mind, is captain Reece James, who is a right-back by trade but expected to play more regularly in midfield.
James is widely regarded as one of the world’s best right-backs, and Alonso was asked whether he believes the 26-year-old can earn the same status among the game’s very best midfield players.
“I would say so,” Alonso said. “I would say that he's very comfortable, very confident playing in that position. He has the intelligence to play there. He has the intelligence to connect with team-mates around in the middle to know what's the best thing before and after you get the ball.
“And he has this awareness. I remember seeing him play very well in the middle. So yes, we are using him. He will have a lot of minutes in there as a first midfielder.”
Despite suggestions from the fanbase that five midfielders including James leaves Chelsea light in the position, Alonso insisted: “We have this feeling with the squad that we are good to go. If we have these setbacks in the season with injuries and suspensions, we have this feeling that we will be able to manage.
“Time will tell, but at the moment he's having a very important role in that position. I knew [before I joined] that he could play there.”
Meanwhile, Alonso said he “can’t got into details” when asked about the times he nearly joined Arsenal as a player.
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