Reece James is receiving adoration from Chelsea supporters as he remains committed to his roots as a graduate of the club's academy, particularly with the news of Manchester United's agreement to sign Mason Mount.

Chelsea's Cobham Academy has gained a reputation for nurturing talented players, although only a few have successfully made it to the senior team. However, this changed when Frank Lampard took over as manager in 2019.

Lampard's arrival coincided with a transfer ban, prompting him to hand first-team debuts to eight academy prospects, including James, Mount, Abraham, and Tomori.

James is the only one left at the club of those eight after The Athletic reported that Chelsea and United have agreed on a fee of £60m including add-ons for Mount.

Chelsea pride in Reece James

Mount has received a lot of backlash since it emerged he has chosen Old Trafford as his preferred destination after he rejected contract offers from West London.

Shortly after the agreement between the clubs was confirmed, a fan wrote on Twitter: ‘Reece James to Arsenal, who says no’ and the defender was quick to respond ‘I say no’.

The club’s Twitter admin was quick to quote the tweet and wrote ‘One of our own’ and added a picture of the player shushing the away crowd after scoring against Arsenal.

One of our own. 💙

Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 29, 2023

Another Cobham star, Trevoh Chalobah, who was handed his debut by Thomas Tuchel, expressed sadness at Mount’s departure and tweeted ‘My boy’ with a tear and heartbreak emoji.

Spanish media AS reported that Real Madrid are interested in James, after he shone against them in the UEFA Champions knockout stages. However, he has a contract at Chelsea until 2029.

Thiago Silva’s emotional reaction

Sports Brief reported that Thiago Silva gave an emotional reaction when the news broke that Mount will not be continuing at the club next season.

The Brazilian veteran defender dropped two teary emoji on the news on Instagram, showing how much the 24-year-old is loved by his teammates.

Silva could also leave Chelsea in a year's time. He has one year left on his contract and is reportedly interested in a return to Brazil with former club Fluminese.