Reece James is Chelsea's most important player, and that fact is now more or less indisputable.
He may not be the most technically-gifted player in the Chelsea squad or the most experienced, but without him, Chelsea are a far worse team. Of course, any team is going to miss any important first-team player, but not many in the footballing world quite have the impact that James does when he is in a Blue shirt.
Take the last few months as a small sample size. James has missed the last eight games, which has seen Chelsea win only three games, with two of those coming in the Champions League. In the last eight games he was involved in, Chelsea won six.
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This doesn't completely imply that the absence of James is the main reason behind these recent results, but it is certainly a large factor.
The biggest problem Chelsea has in regards to James missing any games is they don't have any suitable replacements who can really come close to matching the explosivity the 22-year-old provides both offensively and defensively, the latter highlighted by his battle with Crystal Palace winger Wilfred Zaha last month.
Graham Potter has concerns in a number of areas of the pitch, with the midfield particularly needing a recruitment overhaul with N'Golo Kante and Jorginho out of contract at the end of the season, but with James often enduring lengthy spells on the sidelines, he desperately needs back up at wing-back, and a perfect option may have been revealed.
In a Caught Offside exclusive, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Inter's Denzel Dumfries, who the Blues have had a long-standing interest in, could be a target for the January window.
Romano went on to add: "Denzel Dumfries has always been one of the players appreciated by Chelsea; Dumfries was on the list in the summer alongside Kyle Walker-Peters, but he decided to stay at Inter."
The 26-year-old has made 19 appearances for Inter this season, scoring twice and notching three assists. He is a player who has certain similarities to James with his frightening speed and final delivery, two standouts, along with the pair's versatility.
While his preference and seemingly most fruitful position is wing-back, Dumfries can also play on the right of a back four and also at centre-back if needed. The Dutchman is likely to be called up to the Netherlands squad for the World Cup, where Chelsea can potentially take a closer look at him.
Todd Boehly would reportedly need to part with over £30million to secure his services, and it could be a difficult deal to pull off in January, but without James, Chelsea looks like a far weaker outfit. While he will likely be fit after the World Cup, Potter would find himself in a similar sinking boat if James were to miss another large portion of the season without a suitable alternative waiting in the wings.
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