Jordan James' Birmingham City transfer stance revealed amid £4.3m offer | OneFootball

Atalanta’s pursuit of Birmingham City’s Jordan James is not over despite seeing an offer rejected by the Championship side.

According to Rudy Galetti, the Serie A outfit are preparing another bid to try and tempt the Blues into a sale this month.

Atalanta have already made a bid this transfer window in the region of €5 million (£4.3 million), which Birmingham refused.

James is a promising young talent at St. Andrew’s that is becoming an increasingly important part of the first team squad.

He has featured in 24 of the team’s opening 26 league games, including 12 starts, contributing five goals.

Jordan James transfer latest

It is understood that James is keen on the move to sign for the Bergamo outfit, but the Midlands side has set an asking price of up to €10 million (£8.6 million) to persuade them to cash in on the youngster.

Atalanta are confident that a deal can be agreed before the end of the winter window on 1 February.

While James is keen on the move, it remains to be seen whether Atalanta will be willing to match Birmingham’s asking price.

The new Birmingham manager may want a say in any potential transfer decision regarding the 19-year-old, with the club currently without a first team head coach.

It has been reported that Tony Mowbray is closing in on the vacancy, with the 60-year-old currently out of work following his departure from Sunderland in December.

The veteran coach may yet want a say in any of the club’s impending transfer business, which could also have an impact on the future of the teenager.

Wayne Rooney was the team’s previous manager, lasting just 13 weeks in the role before being dismissed earlier this month.

The 37-year-old oversaw just two wins from 15 games, having replaced John Eustace in October.

Birmingham City league position

Eustace had the team sitting sixth in the table prior to his dismissal, but Rooney was unable to maintain the same level of competitiveness.

The Blues slipped to 20th in the Championship before the decision was made to part ways with the former England star.

The gap to the relegation zone is currently six points, with the Blues aiming to avoid the drop to League One.

Next up for Birmingham is an FA Cup clash against Hull City, but Mowbray’s first game in charge may come on 13 January when the team faces Swansea City.

Mowbray will want to keep James around

One of the big issues at Sunderland for Mowbray was the disconnect between him and the club’s transfer recruitment.

He will surely want greater say at St. Andrew’s, which could mean he will want to be part of the decision-making process behind this James transfer speculation.

An offer close to £10 million will be very tempting, all things considered, and it will be very hard to turn down.

A fee in that region seems reasonable, but it remains to be seen whether Atalanta would be willing to pay that much for the player.