Chelsea ready £8million bid as they look to beat Barcelona in move to sign World Cup star

Following Reece James’ latest injury setback, Chelsea are reportedly interested in Celtic and Croatia World Cup star Josip Juranovic.

James returned to action for Chelsea’s Premier League win over Bournemouth on Tuesday evening, having only recently recovered from the lengthy knee injury that forced him to miss Qatar 2022.

However, the England right-back only lasted 52 minutes against the Cherries due to knee problems, and the Blues have now confirmed that the 23-year-old will be out for another month.

Given Graham Potter’s lack of depth in that position, the club has been linked with a number of players to act as cover, as James has been plagued by injuries since breaking into the first team three years ago.

Long-term target Denzel Dumfries has been mentioned as a possible signing, but Sky Sports reports that Chelsea are now considering a different World Cup defender.

Juranovic played every minute of Croatia’s campaign as they finished third in Qatar, and he was particularly impressive in their shock quarter-final victory over Brazil on penalties.

The 27-year-old, who can also play left back, has been attracting interest for some time, with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid keeping an eye on his situation.

While Juranovic is only worth £8 million, Bookmakers Ratings understands that he still has three and a half years left on his contract, and Celtic are hesitant to let him go.

It is unclear whether Chelsea will pursue Juranovic, with the club said to be considering a number of options for the January transfer window.

Given the large number of fixtures at the start of 2023, they’d be in a good position to close any deal quickly.

Next month, Potter’s team will play back-to-back Premier League and FA Cup games against Manchester City, as well as a trip to Liverpool, as they look to move up the table from eighth place.