Birmingham City may miss out on extra millions in Jordan James saga after Tuesday development: View | OneFootball

It has been a turbulent season for Birmingham City in the Championship.

The Blues made the controversial decision to replace John Eustace with Wayne Rooney in October, despite sitting sixth in the table at the time, and it is fair to say the move did not work out.

Rooney was dismissed in January after picking up just two wins from his 15 games in charge, and his successor, Tony Mowbray, made a strong start to life at St Andrew's before he stepped down temporarily for health reasons last month.

Mowbray's assistant, Mark Venus, was initially placed in caretaker charge, but after a poor run of form under his guidance, the club have brought former manager Gary Rowett back as interim head coach.

Rowett will take charge for the first time in the huge game against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Good Friday, and he faces a big task to keep the club in the division, with Birmingham only outside the relegation zone on goal difference.

Amid all the chaos, one positive for the Blues this season has been the performances of midfielder Jordan James.

James came through the Birmingham academy to establish himself in the first-team, making his debut back in 2021, but he has developed and starred during the current campaign, scoring eight goals in 41 appearances in all competitions so far.

The 19-year-old remained at the club in January, despite attracting transfer interest from elsewhere, but the Blues are likely to face another battle to hold onto him in the summer.

Jordan James transfer latest

Italian side Atalanta made offers for James in January, but they could not agree terms with Birmingham, and they were not the only club keen on the midfielder.

Journalist Alan Nixon claims that Premier League outfit Crystal Palace made a bid for James, proposing a deal that would have seen him return to St Andrew's on loan until the summer, but they did not meet the Blues' valuation.

There has since been a managerial change at Selhurst Park, with Oliver Glasner replacing Roy Hodgson, but it seems that James remains on the Eagles' radar, and the two clubs have "stayed in contact".

Atalanta are also continuing to keep tabs on James ahead of the summer, while fellow Serie A side Bologna and Championship promotion hopefuls Leicester City are reportedly interested - although the Foxes' recent FFP charge raises doubts over whether they could meet Birmingham's reported £10 million asking price.

The Blues may even demand more than that if James maintains his form between now and the end of the season, but Wales' failure to qualify for Euro 2024 could see the club miss out on some extra income.

Wales' Euro 2024 disappointment is bad news for Birmingham City

Despite only making his senior debut for Wales in March 2023, James has become a key player for Rob Page's side in recent months.

James started both games for his country during the international break, but after securing a 4-1 win over Finland on Thursday night, Wales' hopes of reaching Euro 2024 were ended as they lost on penalties to Poland on Tuesday night following a 0-0 draw in Cardiff.

There have been many examples previously of a good international tournament significantly inflating a player's price tag, most notably when Enzo Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica for £106.8 million last January after his starring role in Argentina's World Cup success.

Birmingham would no doubt have been hoping for a similar effect on James' valuation had he performed well for Wales in the Euros, but after their spot-kick heartbreak, he will not get the chance to test himself against the best in Germany this summer.

James' status as an international player will not harm his price, and after the defeat to Poland, Page predicted that there was plenty more to come from the midfielder in a Wales shirt.

"JJ will have learned a lot from that experience, that will hold him in good stead and make him bigger and better in the future," Page said, quoted via Birmingham Live.

"He’ll be another Ethan Ampadu with cap accumulation - 50-odd by the time he’s 23, no doubt. The age of the group is different to what we’ve had before.

"They are a hungry group. I’m keen to get as many of those young players as possible, but it’s got to be done in the right way."

More minutes for James on the international stage will only increase his valuation, and even though he will not be featuring in the Euros, there is still a chance the Blues could make big money on the midfielder this summer, with Mowbray suggesting in January that Adam Wharton's move from Blackburn Rovers to Crystal Palace for £18.5 million, rising to £22 million, could be a benchmark for the type of fee the club receive.

After James' disappointment in midweek, he will now be determined to help keep Birmingham in the Championship, and there is likely to be plenty of speculation over his long-term future in the coming months.