CHELSEA WOMEN are reportedly closing in on the signing of Manchester United’s Lauren James for a WSL record £300,000.
The forward, 19, is the younger sister of Chelsea and England men’s star Reece.
The Blues will pay an initial fee of £200,000 that will be increased by an extra £100k in add-ons, according to The Athletic.
They also claim that James passed her medical at Kingsmeadow on Tuesday with the deal set to be finalised within 48 hours.
Some reports suggest there could be another player heading to United as part of the deal but that is yet to be confirmed.
One of the main reasons James decided to join Emma Hayes’ WSL title winners is to be closer to Reece, according to Sky Sports.
The pair will now become the only brother-sister duo to be the same club in the Premier League and the WSL.
The Blues have been heavily-linked with a move for the teenage starlet in recent months.
They had even mistakenly added her name to their kit list for the up-coming season, sending fans into a frenzy.
Supporters were given the option to buy her shirt emblazoned with the No 24, although it turned out to be a mishap.
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Despite Chelsea’s error, they had been reportedly trying to make the deal happen but couldn’t agree on a price with United.
However, Hayes’ persistence paid off and now the Blues have got their target.
The WSL winners be hoping James’ firepower can help them win the elusive Champions League trophy – which they missed out on after a 4-0 drubbing from Barcelona last season.
Since joining United from Arsenal in 2017, James has been prolific in front of goal.
In her first season with the Red Devils, she scored 14 goals as they gained promotion to the WSL.
But injury hampered her progress last season and James only managed to score twice in 10 league appearances.
