Newcastle are reportedly eyeing up a January deal to sign Chelsea right-back Reece James on loan.
According to The Shields Gazette, Newcastle are interested in signing James on loan until the end of the season.
James spent the 2018/19 campaign on loan to Wigan in the Championship and was named in the Team of the Season at the end of the year.
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Would James be a good signing?
Yes. He can play at right-back or in holding midfield, which makes him useful in two different positions for Newcastle and offers Steve Bruce more flexibility with his team selections. He is also comfortable on the ball at the back, which would suit the wing-back role Bruce asks of his wide defenders.
Newcastle have struggled for a consistent right-back this season, with Emil Krafth, Javier Manquillo and DeAndre Yedlin all having started games in the Premier League. James could come in and nail down the position as his own, leaving Bruce with one less headache pre-match.
Whether or not Chelsea would be willing to let James leave on loan is another matter, though. He has started in their cup matches this season and came off the bench in their league win over Burnley last weekend, which suggests that he is in Frank Lampard’s plans going forward.
