Wrexham AFC urged to avoid £7.5m transfer for Southampton's Will Smallbone in favour of Jordan James swoop | OneFootball

FLW's Wrexham fan pundit feels that the Red Dragons should go after Jordan James over Will Smallbone

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Wrexham are still looking to make a splash in the transfer market between now and September 1's transfer deadline, having taken just one point from their opening three Championship matches.

All their targets are set to bolster their midfield, as Alan Nixon reported that Southampton's Will Smallbone, Rennes' Jordan James and West Ham United's Andy Irving have all been subject to bids by the Red Dragons.

Nixon stated that a £7.5 million bid had been made for Smallbone, who struggled for game-time in the Premier League last season, but was a major part of the Saints side who prevailed at Wembley in the 2023/24 Championship play-offs, missing just three league games and playing every minute of the successful post-season campaign.

However, a reported £4.3 million move for 21-year-old James is, according to FLW's Wrexham fan pundit Liam Grice, a much more attractive proposition, as the former Birmingham City man would cost less and, in Grice's eyes, is already a "better player" than the Irishman.

Wrexham fan pundit comments on Will Smallbone and Jordan James links

Speaking to Football League World, Grice felt that the rumoured £7.5 million bid for Smallbone was nonsensical, especially given that FLW exclusively reported that the 25-year-old was unfavoured at St Mary's and may be on his way out anyway.

"The move doesn't make a lot of sense to me," Grice told FLW.

"He's a good Championship player, but I'm not sure that £7.5 million is value for money after he was placed on the transfer list at Southampton, so he clearly isn't in their plans.

"I think the move we should be pursuing is Jordan James."

James was sold to Ligue 1 side Rennes last summer from Birmingham following Blues' relegation to League One. He made 14 starts in the French top flight last season, including a run of 13 in 14 between November and March.

He's already made 95 appearances in the Championship, despite just turning 21 in July, having made his league debut as a 17-year-old in November 2021.

"James is reported to be around £3 million cheaper, and I think he's a better player with more potential," Grice added.

"He's Championship quality already, and he'd add a lot more to the squad than Smallbone would.

"Plus, there's the Welsh factor too - we seem to be collecting a lot of Welsh internationals this window, so he'd blend seamlessly into the squad."

James has already picked up 20 senior caps for his country. If he joined Wrexham, he'd become the fourth Welsh international to arrive in North Wales this summer, after Nathan Broadhead, Kieffer Moore and Danny Ward.

"I just think he's a better player [than Smallbone], and for less money, why wouldn't you get the better player?" said Grice.

"I don't think Smallbone is the player we should be pursuing."

Wrexham AFC's late transfer links show true ambition to compete in the Championship

If Wrexham can get either James or Smallbone over the line between now and the window's closure in a week's time, Phil Parkinson's midfield will be boosted ten-fold.

Whilst James may provide more of an upside and add to the Welsh connection at Wrexham, both men will better the current crop and be instantly recognised as some of the better central midfielders in the Championship.

Smallbone has had a rough year, but a move to Wrexham would allow him to rediscover the player who was a constant threat in the Saints side in the second tier under Russell Martin. James excelled in a poor Birmingham team two years ago and has spent the last year improving in one of the top five European leagues.

The ambition to bring players of this calibre in shows the ambition that this Wrexham side has, and whilst they've been slowly finding their feet in their first season back in the second tier since the early 1980s, these signings will make Parkinson's side a force in the Championship sooner rather than later.