Does Chelsea's Hakimi pursuit suggest Reece James could leave the club?

Cameron Smith

• 31 May 2022 17:49 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea are once again monitoring the potential of signing Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi after failing on a deal last summer.

Hakimi, 23, impressed Thomas Tuchel and the Chelsea hierarchy during his spell at Inter Milan, and honed his craft under the tutelage of Antonio Conte.

However, despite the Blues' interest, the Moroccan international joined PSG and helped Mauricio Pochettino's side to regain the Ligue 1 title after Lille's triumph the season prior.

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But, Chelsea's pursuit of Hakimi cost them Valentino Livramento, with the youngster opting to join Southampton following news of the club's interest in Hakimi. Livramento has been a roaring success at St Mary's, although a major knee injury suffered against Brighton in the closing stages of the campaign put a dampener on a very positive first year in senior football.

The full-back was Chelsea's 'Academy Player of the Year' during his final year at the club, but is no longer at Stamford Bridge.

Could Chelsea sign Hakimi this summer?

Despite the consequences of their Hakimi interest last summer, Chelsea are reportedly monitoring his situation at the Parc des Princes, according to The Athletic.

In March, RMC Sport journalist Daniel Riolo provided an update on Hakimi's future at PSG by saying: "Hakimi is going crazy, the South Americans don't talk to him anymore. He already wants to leave Paris, he is fed up.

"In this team his qualities have never exploded, so maybe you have to give him up. He is angry and that's normal, he can't take it anymore."

However, Pochettino is set to be replaced at PSG, while Hakimi's good friend Kylian Mbappe has renewed his contract at the club and will stay for a further three years, which could change Hakimi's mind over a transfer away.

Even so, Chelsea are keeping tabs on the player with Reece James' future currently a hot topic in West London.

The England international scored five goals and assisted nine in just 26 Premier League appearances in the 2021/22 season and that form has caught the eye of Real Madrid in particular. James is admired by Los Blancos and Manchester City according to The Athletic, and Chelsea's Hakimi interest could signal James' potential departure from the club.

However, the academy graduate has a contract that runs until 2025, and the new owners want to open talks over a new deal that will see his stay at Stamford Bridge extended further.

In addition, James has been deployed in midfield and at centre-back by Tuchel recently, which suggests Hakimi's possible arrival may have no link to a potential James exit.

Furthermore, depth at wing-back has been identified as an area to fix this summer as injuries to the aforementioned James and Ben Chilwell seriously hampered Chelsea's push for the Premier League title.

There's certainly a world in which James and Hakimi co-exist at Chelsea, although it may take an extortionate amount of money to pry the Moroccan from PSG gievn the fee they splashed to acquire him last summer.