Chelsea targeting Manchester United’s Lauren James — report

Nigel James must be a proud father. His children Reece and Lauren play for two of the world’s best football clubs in Chelsea and Manchester United, respectively. And soon, the siblings might be working at the same training ground week in and out.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Chelsea are interested in bringing Lauren James to Cobham. While our focus is on reaching the Women’s Champions League final by beating Bayern Munich at Kingsmeadow on Sunday in addition to defending our Women’s Super League title, behind the scenes, we are already looking into reinforcements for next season.

Chelsea would not be alone in the chase for the 19-year-old James. French juggernauts and seven-time Champions League-winners, Olympique Lyonnais, also have her in their sights.

Interest from two of Europe’s best clubs is justified by James’s talent, especially when it comes to dribbling and progressive carries. She is among the top 10% in dribbling with 2.68 runs completed per 90 minutes of play, while in the latter category, she tops the entire league with 8.46 carries per 90 minutes, over twice the average of 3.39. She is also a prolific shooter, with 3.92 attempts every 90 minutes on the pitch.

She may not be the finished product yet, but like her older brother, she’s already excellent and with plenty of upside still to go. She would be an astute singing for an already talented and deep Chelsea women’s team now, and especially for the future.