Chelsea starlet Reece James earns rave review for Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has lavished praise on Chelsea defender and England international teammate Reece James in a recent interview.
Both players are widely regarded among the best rising talents in the Premier League. While Saka has progressed by leaps and bounds to evolve into a key player for Mikel Arteta’s side, James has usurped Cesar Azpilicueta in the pecking order to make the right-back spot his own.
They are fierce adversaries on the club front given the bitter rivalry between the two London powerhouses. However, both are teammates for England at the international level, having made their debuts for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions last year.
And Saka apparently has a lot of respect for the Chelsea prospect. When asked to name the most physical young player in the Premier League, the Arsenal graduate had only one name in mind. Speaking on the Premier League Uncut show, Saka said:
“He’s (James) so strong, so powerful. His technical ability is amazing as well. He’s good enough not just to play right-back but can also play in midfield as well.
“He’s that good for me. The combination of his technical and physical skills makes him so good.”
Indeed, James has proven his versatility on numerous occasions this season. While he was largely utilised as a right-back by Frank Lampard, the 21-year-old has slotted seamlessly into a wing-back role under new manager Tuchel.
He also played a brief cameo in midfield in the 3-3 draw against Southampton back in October. That typifies what Saka had to say about his England teammate. James made a total of 39 appearances in what was an impressive breakthrough campaign for the homegrown starlet last term.
The powerful right-back has continued to go from strength to strength this season, starting 15 out of Chelsea’s 23 league fixtures so far.
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Southgate would surely have a tough choice to make with regards to his right-back selection for the upcoming European Championship if James continues to play at such a high level.
