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Chelsea turn down £20m Crystal Palace offer as Frank Lampard looks to hand star a chance
CHELSEA have rejected a £20million approach from Crystal Palace for Reece James as boss Frank Lampard feels the defender has a chance to break into the first-team.
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Chelsea have stopped the full-back leaving the club as Crystal Palace search for a replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The Eagles sold Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United for £50m and reportedly see James as his ideal replacement.
However Chelsea believe James, who is currently recovering from ankle ligament damage he suffered while with England under-20s, could have a chance to break into the first team when he recovers.
It is understood the 19-year-old is around a month away from getting back onto the field, and according to the Daily Star Chelsea have rejected a £20m approach from Palace for the player.
We've got enormous problems at the back at the moment
Last season James enjoyed a great campaign while on loan at Wigan.
His performances saw him make the Championship Team of the Year despite Wigan finishing 18th in the table and he was even given the captain’s armband on his final appearance for the club.
Chelsea have been monitoring the full-back’s displays for the Latics and rewarded him with an uncompetitive debut in the Blues’ friendly against New England Revolution in May.
Lampard is unable to currently sign players as the club is under a two-window transfer ban from FIFA, following an investigation into their signing of foreign under-18 players.
As a result Chelsea are taking a cautious approach to selling players from their first-team and academy squads and the 41-year-old sees the transfer ban as an opportunity to give Chelsea’s younger players a chance to stake a claim for a spot in the first-team.
Lampard, who spent 13 years as a player at Stamford Bridge, has been impressed with what he had already seen from his squad.
Following his return to Stamford Bridge the former England international stated he is keen to work with Chelsea’s academy players and the club have already seen Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek pen new deals.
The Blues also hope Callum Hudson-Odoi will also follow suit on signing a new deal shortly.
As for Palace they are considering several options to replace Wan-Bissaka as Eagles boss Roy Hodgson wants more depth with the team only having Joel Ward and Martin Kelly at right-back.
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“We've got enormous problems at the back at the moment,” Hodgson said.
"We really don't have any defenders, to speak of.
“Aaron's gone and we've got three others injured.
"We will have to do the best we can to make sure we replace [Wan-Bissaka] in some way."