How much Wrexham AFC may have to pay ex-Birmingham City star Jordan James in wages | OneFootball

The Welsh international could be making a return to the Championship

Wrexham's transfer business is once again catching the eye of many, with the Red Dragons said to be pursuing the services of Welsh international and former Birmingham City midfielder, Jordan James.

After gaining three successive promotions from the National League through to the Championship, it was expected that Wrexham were to conduct a squad rebuild in order to immediately compete in the second tier, especially when taking the club's lofty future plans and ambitions into account.

Despite taking no points from their opening two second tier encounters, many expect the North Wales side to comfortably consolidate, with Phil Parkinson recruiting a mixture of exciting talents and players who have a vast number of appearances at this level and beyond under their belts.

James is someone who, somewhat, falls under both categories after progressing through the ranks at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park at the same time as the likes of Jobe Bellingham, who this summer moved from Sunderland to Borussia Dortmund.

Many also expect the Welsh international to have a well-established career, which makes this potential move from his current employers, Rennes, just a year after leaving Birmingham for a fee in excess of £8m, back to the EFL, even more staggering.

With that being said, FLW has looked into the potential financial aspects of a move to the Stok Cae Ras for the 21-year-old.

Jordan James' current wage in Ligue 1 with Rennes as Wrexham AFC plot ambitious transfer raid

It was reported by French outlet, L'Équipe, on Wednesday afternoon that James is of interest to the newly-promoted side, as well as another of their 23 divisional rivals, as well as being the subject of a loan with an option-to-buy from Serie A outfit, Parma.

It has been claimed that Wrexham would have to part with a €5m sum to acquire his signature, and they are currently in talks over the possibility of a deal with the Brittany-based club.

In terms of the potential wage structure involved, it is ESTIMATED by Capology that the central midfielder collects a weekly salary of €12,308, which equates to an annual figure of €640,000. In GBP, those figures translate to £10,651 per week and £553,884 across the entirety of a season.

James featured 25 times for his current employers during his first season on the continent last term, scoring once and registering one assist.

Where Jordan James would feature on Wrexham AFC wage bill amid potential EFL return

Capology also ESTIMATES that Wrexham have the sixth-lowest wage bill in the Championship, despite conducting a record-breaking recruitment drive, which included spending up to £10m on the services of Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich Town.

If James was to accept a similar figure to the aforementioned salary, it would put him marginally above the wage taken home by the experienced James McClean, who has been a key cog in the club's rapid rise up the EFL since joining in August 2023.

Despite still being in the infancy of his career, the 20-time international comes with strong pedigree after previously making 95 appearances in the Championship with Blues, and his technical ability and composure would be a welcome addition to a new-look midfield which includes the likes of the vastly experienced Lewis O'Brien.

Whilst some may question James' motivation to swap the French top flight for the EFL after just one season, it is clear that this deal is still financially viable, and the chance to join one of world football's most exciting and rapidly growing projects cannot be ignored by the player.