Chelsea have made a final offer for Lauren James after growing frustrated in the talks to sign the Manchester United forward.
The Blues have targeted reuniting Reece James with his sister at their women's outfit, which won all three domestic trophies but lost in the Champions League final to Barcelona.
The 19-year-old has been in talks with the west Londoners for almost two months but negotiations between the clubs have hit a stumbling block in recent weeks.
Is the James move about just marketing?
No, she's regarded as one of the top English talents, having received her first international call-up in November.
At the end of the 2019-20 season, she finished as the top scorer for United and was named the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year.
James also made Goal's NxGn list in 2020, ranking fourth and placing her among the top 10 young talents in the women's game.
She's currently working with personal trainer Tom Joyce to keep fit ahead of the new season, despite being away on holiday.
Why would Man Utd let her go to a rival?
Under the leadership of the highly-respected manager Casey Stoney, United narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification by one point in their first season in the Women's Super League
However, Stoney has since resigned as manager after reportedly growing frustrated with the lack of investment in the infrastructure behind the scenes.
"It has been an honour to lead the women's team at this great club and this has been an incredibly tough decision," Stoney said upon resigning.
Meanwhile, American duo Tobin Heath and Christen Press have left to return to the United States. Fellow forward Jess Sigsworth has also left the club and is likely to join newly-promoted Leicester City.
James could also leave, of course, with Chelsea and Manchester City's budgets in the women's game continuing to dwarf all English clubs - including that of United
Further reading
- Mount's childhood hero D'Alessandro vows to swap shirts with England ace
- Leipzig, Southampton and Brighton join race for Chelsea's Livramento
- Havertz: 'England have some of the best players in the world'
