How much West Ham or Sheffield United will have to pay for Jordan James revealed | OneFootball

Jordan James' price-tag has now been revealed amid interest from a host of Championship and Premier League clubs

Jordan James emerged from a bitterly-disappointing campaign at Leicester City with individual credit in the bank and the Welsh international now finds himself poised to represent a hot property in this summer's transfer window ahead of a potential permanent return to England from French side Rennes.

The ex-Birmingham City midfielder landed back in the Championship just a year after his exit from St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park by joining Leicester on loan in a deal which the Foxes hoped would boost their ambitions of gaining promotion back to the Premier League at the very first time of asking.

Instead, Leicester's season would head in the opposite direction as they gradually withered away and ultimately suffered relegation, with a six-point deduction for breaching Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules helping to plunge the one-time Premier League champions into the third-tier for only the second occasion in the club's history.

An overwhelming number of players at the King Power Stadium have now seen a sharp decline in their stock, although James managed to raise his own in spite of the Foxes' fortunes.

The 21-year-old was often inspired when fully fit, posting an impressive return of 11 goals and four assists from 34 appearances to finish as City's top scorer from central midfield and ensure the interest of a series of suitors heading into the freshly-commenced summer window.

How much West Ham or Sheffield United must pay for Jordan James transfer

Back in April, it was reported by the Sheffield Star that James has admirers at Sheffield United amid speculation surrounding the future of talented Blades midfielder Sydie Peck.

West Ham, meanwhile, have been linked with the 26-cap Welsh international after suffering relegation from the top-flight, and with Mateus Fernandes now on his way to sign for Tottenham Hotspur in a stunning £85 million capture, it would be no surprise to see the East Londoners amplify a clutch of transfer pursuits in the coming days and weeks.

Both sides could yet face the threat of Premier League competition as the likes of Crystal Palace and Leeds United also reportedly hold an interest in the midfielder's signature - and all four clubs have now learned how much money will be required to stand a chance of winning it.

As reported by Ouest France, Rennes are demanding a significant eight-figure outlay in order to part company with James on a permanent basis. It's said that James' price-tag currently sits at €15m (£13m), which would represent a huge investment for any club playing outside of the Premier League.

Should Rennes collect that figure for the Blues academy product, it would mark a wholesale profit on the £6 million fee they shelled out to the Second City outfit just two years ago.

James emerged as one of the Championship's brightest young stars after breaking into Birmingham's first-team during the 2021/22 campaign and would make 105 appearances across all competitions before heading across the English channel to sign for Rennes in the summer of 2024.

The Hereford-born starlet's move to Rennes was widely hailed in light of the Ligue 1 club's renowned talent production line, which has developed global superstars in Eduardo Camavinga, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Raphinha over the years.

James, however, has found game-time somewhat harder to come by in Brittany, having played just 1,181 minutes of league football in his debut campaign - and after thriving back in the Championship at Leicester, a permanent exit appears increasingly likely.

West Ham may have Jordan James transfer advantage over Sheffield United

Although West Ham could plausibly lose out on James' services to a Premier League club this summer, there's no denying that Nuno Espirito Santo's side hold a clear advantage over Sheffield United in the race to complete this particular deal.

As aforementioned, the Hammers are collecting a record-breaking transfer outlay for Fernandes, which will seriously strengthen their financial muscles and would free up the funds - and then some - to bring James to the London Stadium.

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It's a bit more complicated at Bramall Lane, with the Blades poised to sell a number of prized assets this summer to offset losses and weather the storm of heading into next season without parachute payments.

The potential departure of Peck would similarly give Chris Wilder the opportunity to venture in the market and explore eye-catching deals, but nowhere near to the same extent that the Hammers can as Fernandes prepares his move to north London.