Birmingham City: Fresh Jordan James update emerges as Leeds, Ipswich circle | OneFootball

Jordan James has continued to attract plenty of interest this summer

Highlights

Birmingham City are said to have received no fresh bids for the sought-after Jordan James, despite recent interest from the likes of Leeds United and Ipswich Town.

That's according to Birmingham Live, who state that no bids have come Blues' way in the last seven months since the Welsh international was the subject of three unsuccessful bids from eventual UEFA Europa League winners, Atalanta.

James has remained a constant figure in the club's pre-season preparations for the League One season which begins in just over a week's time, with Chris Davies now the man in the hotseat at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

Sweeping changes across the squad look set to continue ahead of the transfer deadline on August 30th, although it remains to be seen whether the Second City outfit can retain the services of their prized asset and academy graduate.

Fresh update emerges on Jordan James' immediate future

Across the last 12 months, James has been a man in demand from an abundance of Premier League, EFL and European clubs, and such interest has only intensified as a result of Blues dropping into the third tier for the first time in nearly 30 years at the end of last season.

However, within a fresh report from Birmingham Live, it has been reported that no bids have been received by his current employers since the January transfer window, which culminated in three unsuccessful attempts to acquire James' services from Atalanta, with the Italian side said to have offered €5m (£4.28m), which was swiftly rejected by Blues.

This comes after recent speculation which claimed that both Leeds United and Ipswich Town had joined the race of potential suitors which already included the likes of Leicester City, West Ham United and Bologna among many others.

It was reported by HITC last week that Kieran McKenna's side were fronting the queue to strike a deal for the 20-year-old's services, with Birmingham said to value the midfielder in excess of £10m.

It was then revealed by Football Insider that Daniel Farke's side hold a "strong interest" in James as the Whites look to replace the services of the recently departed Glen Kamara and Archie Gray, and despite the Tractor Boys' interest already becoming knowledge, the publication stated Leeds face competition from an unnamed Premier League side, despite Blues' reluctance to see a departure materialise.

How Birmingham City may look to replace Jordan James

Birmingham have already made a number of additions to their midfield department, which included a reported £500,000 deal for Brighton's Marc Leonard, as well as another statement capture in the form of former Go Ahead Eagles man, Willum Thor Willumsson.

In the aforementioned report from Birmingham Live, it has been claimed that Davies is looking to add the services of one more to this area of the park, but that could stretch to two new bodies, depending on whether James stays put or not.

Amid previous speculation, it has been revealed by Sky Sports' Transfer Centre (11:21, 01/08) that Blues have submitted a loan offer for Fulham's Luke Harris, who impressed last season whilst on loan at Exeter City in the second half of last season, earning rave reviews from Grecians boss, Gary Caldwell.

Birmingham City will hope for a swift resolution to Jordan James' transfer saga

Ultimately, whilst no bids are said to have come to the table yet, regardless of the end scenario, all connected with Birmingham will be hoping that a potential transfer saga is swiftly put to bed, even if they were to lose the services of the man who earned a Championship Young Player of the Season nomination in April.

Former boss Tony Mowbray was previously thrown into the firing line regarding James' future in January amid a barrage of speculation, and Davies is currently no different, although the midfielder hasn't let such rumours affect his performances in pre-season, which included a well-taken strike against Shrewsbury Town.

However, whilst the Blues board will be desperate to tie him down to fresh terms, James' deal does expire in June of next year at present, although there is an option for it to be extended until the end of 2025/26.

This gives the likes of Tom Wagner a continued high amount of bargaining power should a bidding war emerge in the next four weeks, but it's paramount that a decision is made sooner rather than later, as it then gives the new boss ample time to source adequate replacements.