The big Wrexham AFC knock-on effect signing Jordan James will have | OneFootball

Having the Welsh youngster in the squad would allow Lewis O'Brien and Nathan Broadhead to thrive

A new addition can often breathe new life into a struggling team and take a lot of pressure off the shoulders of some key players.

Given the poor start to the Championship season, Wrexham AFC may need this kind of player moving forward. While several new signings have made substantial early impacts on this team, one potential newcomer could be exactly what some players need to flourish.

Jordan James linked to Wrexham for a while

The name Jordan James has been mentioned as a possible transfer target by the Red Dragons for some time. The Welsh midfielder had close to 100 caps in the Championship (95) at Birmingham City before joining Ligue 1 side Rennes on a four-year deal in August 2024.

He collected 23 caps in the French top flight last season, registering just one assist, while playing primarily as a substitute. Early into the new domestic campaign, it does not appear that the 21-year-old will figure prominently in Habib Beye’s setup for the Brittany club, failing to play a single minute in their two league fixtures, not even being on the team sheet in their 4-0 defeat at Lorient last Sunday.

James still has three years left on his contract at Stade Rennais. Still, with the World Cup less than a year away and Wales in a position to potentially qualify, it may be in the best interest of the English-born midfielder to return to the EFL, ensuring his place in the national team is secure.

That may not be the only reason a move to the Championship is good for his career. His skills really seem to fit with what Phil Parkinson needs, while his talents would be much more appreciated in North Wales than they are at Rennes.

It has been reported that the North Welsh club were in talks about adding James to their squad, with the Wrexham boss, Phil Parkinson, saying, via talkSPORT: “We’re a club always playing catch-up and to do that the recruitment has got to be quicker, and more of it, to try and make sure we’re competitive for this level.”

Right now, though, Wrexham are playing catch-up in the table, sitting 19th in the table and just a single point above the relegation line. Of course, you don’t want to make a rash decision and push the panic button too quickly, but even after three league fixtures, it’s clear James’ presence would plug a hole in this squad and also enable a couple of players to focus on what they do best.

He's been making slightly more than £10k-a-week sitting on the bench at Rennes, per Capology's estimates, which translates to an annual fee of just over £550,000. That salary is slightly more than captain James McClean’s weekly income, which is an even £10,000.

There are many appealing qualities about Jordan James, including his defensive awareness. The man born in Hereford reads the game incredibly well from a defensive standpoint, and that’s an area the Red Dragons are struggling with.

Wrexham have often looked dangerous when in possession this season, but a lack of defensive cover has really hurt them. The addition of Callum Doyle should help them be more compact and sharper down the left-hand side. However, for as good as he is, and Conor Coady, even their strong positional play and defensive awareness won’t matter if Wrexham can’t limit their opponent’s transitional moments.

James isn’t only sharp at anticipating the opposition’s actions, but he is a tireless runner who can cover a lot of ground in the middle of the park. While he is primarily known for his defensive ability, he can also contribute to the attack, scoring eight goals in his previous Championship campaign with Birmingham in 2023-24, with only Jay Stansfield netting more (12). His expected goals that season was at 4.23, while he also won a high number of fouls (41) and aerial duels (19), to go along with over 100 recoveries (111).

Needless to say, there are many encouraging attributes that he brings to the table for a Championship club.

Jordan James would have one big knock-on effect for Wrexham

Even though Wrexham are tied for the fourth-most goals scored in the Championship thus far, they have missed their share of opportunities that may have killed a game off. That, along with plenty of defensive mishaps, has contributed to them claiming just one point after three games.

While those missed chances have come back to bite them, there are likely to be a lot more scoring opportunities with James on the pitch. The Welshman may not create many of them, but his work rate and ball-winning ability will free up two key attacking figures to focus on what they do best.

Lewis O’Brien is among the team’s best chance creators, but he’s also had to backtrack when this team has been caught short at the back, expending plenty of energy as a result.

The same can be said about Nathan Broadhead, who, like many newcomers, has shown he’s still capable of playing at this level. Although, as with O’Brien, we’ve yet to see the best version of him.

Both O’Brien and Broadhead are solid chance creators with the vision and passing ability to pick up Wrexham’s dangerous frontmen, be it Kieffer Moore, Josh Windass or Sam Smith.

James' presence would allow both players to focus on chance creation, while also chipping in with a few goals themselves. It would not only help the Red Dragons create more scoring opportunities but also ensure that Broadhead and O’Brien are fresh in the latter stages of a match. The more chances created, the more they will find the back of the net, which would render their late second-half collapses insignificant.