"A good fee" - Jordan James claim made as Birmingham City exit is mooted | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

A nightmare season for Birmingham City saw them relegated to the third tier for the first time since 1995, meaning squad adjustments will be necessary this summer.

The Blues' unexpected demotion means there will be players at St. Andrew's who feel they need to be playing Championship football at a minimum and others who may need to be sold to balance the books and reinvest in the squad ahead of their new challenge.

One such player that could fall into both categories is Jordan James. The 19-year-old has earned a minimum of 20 Championship appearances in each of the last three seasons, but last season, turning out 42 times and scoring eight goals, was by far his most productive, and his value has shot up as a result.

FLW's Birmingham City Fan Pundit, Mike Gibbs, has delivered his verdict on James' future with the Blues.

Fan Pundit thinks cashing in on James may be for the best

Mike, as will be the case with many fans, doesn't want to see an academy product as talented as James depart the club at such a young age, but accepts that the recent relegation may necessitate just that.

Speaking to Football League World, Mike said: “The one player I think I’d be happy for the club to cash in on would probably be Jordan James.

“That being said, I wouldn’t want him to go, but I would be happy for them to cash in on him.

“I think he’s the one player that would, even with the relegation, definitely warrant a good fee. “I think, invested in the right way, we could get three, four, five different players potentially that are going to really help in terms of our promotion push.

“So, as long as the money’s spent well, I think we’d get a good fee and, invested well, I think it’d be really beneficial for the club.”

A move away from St. Andrew's may work for all parties

It is never easy to see a player break out of the academy system only to watch them head off and spend their best footballing years elsewhere, but that was looking likely to be the case with James even before the relegation.

In January, the young midfielder was linked with moves to Serie A sides Atalanta and Fiorentina, with the former officially submitting a £4.28million bid that was rejected at the time. That has since been followed up by suggestions of Premier League interest from the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton and Crystal Palace.

It's difficult to see how the Blues could keep hold of James under the circumstances, making a move away likely.

That would, of course, be beneficial for James's career as he would likely get the opportunity to test himself at a higher level, but the Midlands outfit could also make it work for themselves too.

It has previously been reported that Birmingham placed a £10million valuation on James before the relegation. Their situation now means that that price tag will likely need to be reduced, as buying clubs will recognise the Blues' increased need to sell.

However, anything remotely near that figure would give League One new boys a spending power that cannot be matched by any other team in the third tier, and further solidify their place as favourites for promotion back into the Championship.

As Mike says, a James sale could release funds to make multiple quality additions and improve the squad as a whole, rather than holding on to one promising element. It will be a difficult goodbye, but as Mike identifies, it might be the best for all involved.