Birmingham City will wince as Wolves close in on £10m transfer raid | OneFootball

Blues fans would hate the thought of Jordan James featuring for their local rivals

Birmingham City will hope that the 2026/27 Championship season is one which brings about much more consistency for Chris Davies' team as they look to eventually challenge for promotion to the Premier League.

Ambition is certainly high in this part of the Second City, and after a campaign of mixed fortunes last time out, the chance to reach at least the play-offs is wide open for Blues.

Indeed, one third of the entire Championship will earn a shot at promotion to the top-flight due to the expansion of the play-offs, whilst many are predicting this season to be one of the toughest, yet most compelling promotion races the division has ever seen.

Blues were big spenders last summer and in January after their promotion from League One, and have had an intriguing summer transfer window this time around too, with Davies hoping his additions will have plugged obvious gaps in the squad.

Meanwhile, some at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park will also have a keen eye on developments involving former academy graduate, Jordan James, who could looks set for a second tier return, and this time on a permanent basis.

Birmingham City played a huge role in Jordan James' upward trajectory

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It is sometimes easy to forget that James is still just 22 years of age, having broken into the first-team fold at Birmingham during the 2021/22 season under Lee Bowyer at 17.

After continuing to make a breakthrough into senior football during a period when Blues were producing talents like Jude and Jobe Bellingham, the Welsh international continued to catch the eye under John Eustace, before performing to a high standard in the 2023/24 season in particular, in spite of the club's relegation.

During a campaign which saw Blues managed by six permanent or temporary head coaches, James was still able to score eight times and earn a nomination for the Championship's Young Player of the Season award, which was won by Harry Gray.

Given the importance of PSR regulations in the modern game, though, James immediately became a prized asset in the summer of 2024, and was sold to Stade Rennais in a deal worth up to £8m, but his game has continued to go from strength-to-strength despite his current employers not seeing the best in him.

Jordan James' Leicester City exploits have seen him become a wanted man this summer

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During his first season in Ligue 1 with the Brittany side, James saw his gametime somewhat restricted, making just 23 appearances and 14 starts, whilst only producing one assist.

After a period of initial speculation, the midfielder was loaned to Leicester City under Marti Cifuentes following their relegation to the Championship, with James citing the fact he was "better" from having the aforementioned tough experience in France.

It appeared to initially be the Foxes' gain that James had agreed his temporary stint in the East Midlands, but, largely due to a six-point deduction, the club were relegated to League One, again, in spite of his own individual performances, which were even greater than those at St. Andrew's.

James was rewarded for a total of 15 goal contributions in 34 games by winning the Championship's Young Player of the Season award this time around, and now he is a wanted man, with Rennes reportedly looking for as little as £10m for his services amid interest from English and European sides.

Birmingham City will hate Jordan James featuring for Wolves as transfer breakthrough made

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James was initially linked with all of Middlesbrough, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers within such reports, and all three are expected to be in promotion contention, whilst Blues will also be in the spotlight.

It was that Boro may find it difficult to cover the playmaker's wage demands, even though the club have invested heavily in Radek Vitek and Will Lankshear after losing the play-off final.

However, those in B9 will certainly wince at the thought of James featuring for the Old Gold and Black, and that looks the most likely scenario as of right now, with it being suggested that Cesar Peixoto's side are advancing in a deal for the playmaker ahead of their divisional rivals.

Although not a main derby for either club, there is still a strong rivalry between Blues and Wolves, and that could intensify in the next year as both seek routes towards promotion back to the Premier League, as well as clashing for the first time in eight years.

Jordan James would add serious firepower to Wolves' squad

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Despite being relegated in drab fashion, by comparison to many divisional counterparts, Wolves' squad under the newly-appointed Peixoto remains stacked with quality and experience.

James would only add to this too, having played over 120 games in the Championship on top of his award-winning exploits, and given the fact he hit double-figures for a relegated side last term, it is a mouth-watering prospect to think of the numbers he could put up at Molineux alongside the likes of Mateus Mane, Raul Jimenez and Adam Armstrong.