In Focus: Reece lightning can spark Blues into life under Poch

Reece James endeared himself further to the Chelsea faithful in recent days.

The defender shot down a fan who suggested the prospect of a switch across the capital to Arsenal on social media, much to the delight of Blues supporters. 

He is set to be the most established academy graduate remaining at the club, following Ruben Loftus-Cheek's move to AC Milan and the imminent departure of Mason Mount to Manchester United.

As new boss Mauricio Pochettino seeks to prepare a much-changed squad for their pre-season fixtures, we take a look at what James will bring to the table.

Quality crossing

As a flying full-back, the most obvious quality James offers is his dangerous deliveries from wide areas. 

Excluding corners, the 23-year-old attempted 5.28 crosses per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season, completing 1.16 of those on average. Both those tallies rank inside the division's top 10.

He also won the fourth-most corners per game in the competition last term (1.59), fashioning set-piece opportunities for his side when blocked off by an opposition defender.

Accuracy in advanced areas

James' attacking skills are not limited to high-risk, high-reward actions like crosses, however. 

In fact, he is remarkably accurate in advanced areas — only two players in the Premier League recorded a better final third passing percentage than his 86.79% last season, with 230 of his 265 such passes finding their intended target. 

The England international's ability to build patient attacks as well as go direct into the box makes him an unpredictable threat.

Wing to wing

On top of offering plenty of threat high up the pitch, James also plays an important role in ball progression. 

The right-back regularly feeds the winger on his side, playing 19.32 passes to the right wing per 90 in the English top flight during 2022-23 — the third-most in the division. 

However, he also frequently looks to switch play to the opposite flank, sending 29.37 passes to the left-hand side of the pitch per game in the competition.

Injury issues

Injuries limited James to just 16 Premier League appearances last season and former caretaker manager Frank Lampard is keen to see the 16-cap Three Lions star play more regularly — though he downplayed concerns about the Londoner's durability. 

Lampard said: "Because you understand absolutely what Reece gives this team both offensively and defensively, your eyes are drawn to the fact when he's not there. 

"So we want to get him as fit as he can be regularly because he is a top player."

Coming back better

Having failed to return before the end of last season after suffering a hamstring injury in the Champions League exit to Real Madrid in April, James vowed on social media to come back stronger in 2023-24. 

He wrote: "I'm sure you've seen the news, I won't be back for the last game. It's been tough for me. I'm sorry this season hasn't gone as we all wanted. 

"Next season, I'll be back stronger than ever and we will be back fighting for trophies. Stay well and see you all soon, love you all, Reece."

Pochettino will hope James can play a crucial part in the Argentine's revolution at Stamford Bridge in the coming months.