Wolves backed to seal 'interesting' Jordan James transfer | OneFootball

The Welsh midfielder's quality has already attracted plenty of transfer interest

Wolverhampton Wanderers are preparing for their first season as a Championship club since their title-winning exploits under Nuno Espírito Santo eight years ago, and transfer rumours are already rife at Molineux.

Rather unsurprisingly, some of the more high-profile players from the Old Gold and Black's ranks have been linked with moves away after their relegation from the Premier League, leaving Rob Edwards with the critical task of nailing his upcoming recruitment strategy.

It will also come as very little surprise that Wanderers, along with West Ham United and Burnley, are already one of the first-choice picks for promotion in next season's Championship, even though there is now the prospect of some of the other pre-existing second tier outfits being in with a shot at glory due to an extended play-off format.

Wolves are yet to fully confirm their released/retained list ahead of the official end of the 2025/26 campaign, albeit only Matt Doherty is currently out-of-contract as a permanent member of Edwards' squad, and it has already emerged that the West Midlands side have 'verbally agreed' an initial two-year deal with former England full-back, Kieran Trippier, to potentially fill such a void.

However, that wasn't the only rumour to surface late in the first week of the off-season, with it being claimed by the Telegraph that two other names monitored by the newly-relegated club are Jordan James and Ellis Simms, with the former impressing significantly during a loan spell with Leicester City, despite the Foxes' relegation to League One.

Wolves urged to press forward with Jordan James transfer move despite European competition

The 21-year-old Welsh international spent the season at the King Power Stadium on loan from French side, Stade Rennais, who he moved to for £8m from Wolves' local rivals, Birmingham City, two summers ago.

Although many players were the subject of strong criticism throughout a continuation of severe underperformance in the East Midlands, James certainly did all he could under Marti Cifuentes, Andy King and Gary Rowett to help Leicester attempt to avoid the drop amid a six-point deduction, scoring 11 times and posting four assists in 34 league outings.

The likes of Sheffield United, Leeds United and Villarreal, who are in next season's UEFA Champions League, have also been credited with interest, but Football League World's Wolves fan pundit, Thomas Woodhall, believes the addition of James would make sense from a tactical perspective.

"Jordan James to Wolves is an interesting one," he told FLW.

"It didn't really work out for him in France, I believe, but he bounced back really well at Leicester and was really good at Birmingham. He's still only 21 as well.

"I think Rob Edwards will move to a back-four next season, if his time at Luton is anything to go by, in a 4-2-3-1 style," Woodhall added.

"With Andre signing a new contract, he's going to be playing in that 'two', so I can potentially see Jordan James next to him, with Joao Gomes' (move) almost 'sealed' to Atlético Madrid.

"I think it could be an interesting matchup, but he's certainly the profile of player we should be looking for in the Championship, and, potentially, if promotion happens, a solid Premier League player," he stated.

"I can think of worse players to put in our midfield, and if his time at Leicester says anything, it would be a pretty good deal."

Jordan James may have his sights set away from Championship after Birmingham City, Leicester City spells

Given his qualities both at the base of the midfield or in an advanced role, James would be a strong addition to Wolves' midfield as part of their rebuild, although on an individual level, his sights may well be set elsewhere.

Despite previously taking some time to get to grips with Ligue 1 at Rennes, the 26-time international's previous nominations, as well as winning the Championship's Young Player of the Season award further showcase his high-level ceiling of potential, and that could also be a hindrance to Wolves given how Leicester's campaign panned out immediately after relegation.

However, if Gomes' reported £39m move to the Wanda Metropolitano is finalised as soon as possible, Wanderers would certainly believe they have the financial muscle to compete for his signature alongside Villarreal, who are hoping to strike a cut-price deal after opening talks with the midfielder's current employers.