Reece James has agreed a new six-year deal at Chelsea which will keep him at the club until 2032.

Reece James just signed a six year contract at Chelsea. He has been there since he was six years old. His sister plays for Chelsea Women too. His father is a UEFA licensed coach. At some point this stops being a football story and starts being a family one. One of loyalty. If the current Chelsea is a family, Reece James has to be the first child. 

Every player from the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea has either left or been moved on. Reece James just signed until 2032. The last man standing, and he has been there since he was six years old.

Roman Abramovich is gone. The players he bought are gone. The manager he appointed is gone. Reece James, who joined Chelsea's academy at six years old, just signed a contract until 2032. Some things outlast the money.

He is the last player from that era to transition onto BlueCo's new wage structure, which makes this contract more symbolic than most people are treating it. In my opinion, this is is Chelsea closing a chapter and confirming that the one thing they are keeping from the old version of the club is the boy who grew up inside it.

He joined the academy at six, had a brief spell at Fulham at seven, came back, and never really left. He has won the Champions League, the Club World Cup twice, and the Conference League in a Chelsea shirt. His sister Lauren plays for Chelsea Women. They are the first brother and sister to represent England at senior level in the modern era. 

Chelsea have spent hundreds of millions building a new squad around a new identity. And then they handed a six year contract to the kid who was already there before any of it started. That tells you something about what Reece James means to this club that no transfer fee ever could.