Chelsea Women: Lauren James extends her stay in west London until 2027

With the news of new outgoings to Bayern Munich, the Chelsea Women locked down one of their standout attackers Lauren James to a long-term deal.

At this point when you think of the James family, the first word that should come to mind is Chelsea. About 10 months after her brother Reece James extended his contract with the Blues, his sister, the electric English international winger Lauren James did the same. Just one day after being named to the England squad for this summer’s upcoming World Cup, the 21-year-old inked a new deal with the club she began playing youth football with until the summer of 2027.

James joins German midfielder Melanie Leupolz as the only two players that are under contract with the club past the summer of 2025. She becomes the only player on the team that is locked up beyond 2026. With Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder sadly out the door, only Maren Mjelde and Emily Orman have contracts that are up this summer.

Patience was a virtue when it came to James career for the west Londoners’ so far. The former Manchester United attacker came back to her childhood club with large expectations, and a price tag that she was intended to match. Battling through injuries in her first season back in London, James played in just six Women’s Super League matches, scoring just one goal.

Many CFCW fans had forgotten about her due to the lack of playing time she received. James used her first year at Cobham to adapt to the culture Hayes had built. The Blues’ manager knew just how talented of a player she was, but also how young she was. Hayes thought it was best for James to take all the time she needed before providing her with a much larger role. It was her genius that led to English international’s breakout campaign that began in the fall of 2022.

James netted seven goals across all competitions, appearing in 26 contests in the WSL and the UEFA Women’s Champions League combined. She completed 18 more take-ons than any other CFCW player in the domestic league, continuously using her creativity with the ball at her feet to knife through any oppositions backline. Of the players that attempted over 45 or more take-ons in the women’s top-flight in England this past season, James is the only one who successful completed over 62 percent of them.

As the Chelsea men’s team continue to fail to lock down one of their academy standouts, the women’s team secured one of their brightest young stars long term.

In front of the Kingsmeadow crowd, James had her coming out party in blue, contributing to all three of the west Londoners’ goals en route to a triumph over Aston Villa on the eve of Halloween. Against Paris Saint-Germain, the former Chelsea academy player netted two goals with an eight minute span to put the French side to bed before the 70′.

At only 21, it is frightening how good she can truly become with even more time at the senior club level and on the national stage with England. Her grace, and balance while making runs is something to behold. Combining that with her strength, makes her one of the most feared forward players in the WSL today. Her persistence to go right at the backline when she is making her runs causes hesitation among the opponent.

James reacted to her contract extension at the Bridge yesterday:

"“It’s an amazing feeling to extend my stay at the club I love and where I feel most at home. I’m looking forward to the future and I want to reach my full potential.”"

The world finally had the chance to witness everything James has to offer on the pitch with her display in the Arnold Clark Cup back in early 2023. The youngster was given the Arnold Clark Cup Player of the Tournament for her dynamism on the wing and her ability to create chances in the blink of an eye for her nation.

Her legend on the national team level will only continue to grow. Making sure her club colors remain blue for the foreseeable future was vital as this club seeks to take their domestic dominance and translate that into Europe’s top competition. She may seem quiet on the outside, but on the football pitch, James is the last player any opponent wants with the ball at their feet. It was only a matter of time before the 21-year-old reached a deal.

As James said when the news was confirmed, “This is my club, and I’m just getting started.” For her, she has a bright present, but an even brighter future. During the World Cup, CFCW fans can now sit back and watch James knowing she is going to be doing this in blue for many years to come.