Didier Drogba message speaks volumes as Chelsea consider striking Real Madrid deal

Didier Drogba was clearly delighted to see Reece James shine for Chelsea in their dramatic 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend. The right-back, who has been linked with a surprise move to Real Madrid, came off the bench to make his first appearance since December and showed why he was sorely missed during his injury absence.

The Blues captain wasted no time in stamping his authority on the contest, being involved in Raheem Sterling’s goal and setting up Nicolas Jackson for the winner in the closing stages. He was undoubtedly Chelsea’s best performer despite playing just 11 minutes, prompting Drogba to congratulate him on social media.

James marked the victory with a celebratory post on Instagram, which read: “Wow… soooo good to be back out there with my brothers, I missed that feeling! Enjoy your weekend.” Chelsea legend Drogba issued a short but sweet reply, commenting: “The captain is back,” alongside a blue heart and a praying emoji.

It remains to be seen if James’ return to fitness and form will tempt Real Madrid into making an offer when the bidding opens next month. The Spanish giants have been tentatively linked with a summer move in recent weeks, with Chelsea reportedly needing to sell players to ensure their compliance with financial regulations.

Watch all the Premier League and Champions League drama unfold on TNT Sports

James is one of several players the Blues could sell for pure profit given that he is an academy product, which suggests that any significant bids would be seriously considered. A sale could also be tempting due to his injury record, with James having featured in only 25 league games since the start of the 2022/23 season.

However, it has been reported that Chelsea may not actually need to offload any players if they can raise money from elsewhere. They have already taken a step towards easing their financial concerns by selling their Cobham training base to themselves, according to lawyer and former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson.

He posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Their lawyers applied to register this dealing in early February (after the window creaked shut) so Chelsea’s 23/24 PSR confidence appears to be based on this intra-group accounting profit to outweigh the expected £200m+ operating loss.”

Only time will tell if James is sold by Chelsea in the summer, with the Blues unlikely to consider letting him leave unless they can make a significant profit. If he does go to Real Madrid, he will be missed at Stamford Bridge with Drogba set to be among those left disappointed after his public show of support.