Crystal Palace and Wolves join transfer battle for Birmingham City player | OneFootball

Crystal Palace and Wolves have joined the transfer race for Birmingham City midfielder Jordan James.

Jordan James continues to attract transfer interest

Even though it has been a tough season for Blues so far, with Tony Mowbray having recently taken over a side languishing in the bottom half, James has impressed.

The Welsh international was one of few to improve under former boss Wayne Rooney, with the 19-year-old becoming an important player in central midfield.

Given his age, clubs clearly recognise James is someone with the potential to get even better, and Italian outfit Atalanta made a real push to sign the teenager earlier in the window, but a fee couldn’t be agreed.

And, it now seems as though there’s Premier League interest in the Blues academy graduate, as journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that Wolves and Palace are considering a late move for James.

“Understand Crystal Palace and Wolves are showing interest in Jordan James as potential midfielder target. Birmingham City already rejected a bid from Atalanta earlier this window.”

Jordan James is destined to play at the highest level

Despite his age, James is closing in on 100 appearances for Blues, and he’s likely to hit that landmark in the next month or two.

Given his age, that’s some achievement and it shows just how good the youngster is.

With the Bellingham brothers, and even George Hall, having impressed for Birmingham coming through the ranks, it sometimes feels as though James is undervalued, but he is a really exciting talent who has managed to establish himself in the first-team squad.

That has brought international recognition with Wales, and if he continues this trajectory, James is going to play at the highest level.

Of course, the big question is whether it’s the right time for him to make such a move.

In truth, it’s hard to see how James gets into the Wolves' midfield right now, and even though Palace have injuries, that will still be a tough ask.

So, you could make the case to say he would benefit from remaining at St. Andrew’s, as he continues to develop and improve in the Championship.

Birmingham must demand a big fee

Following on from that, Blues need to stand firm, and only accept a big offer that will allow Tony Mowbray to invest to improve a side that are bottom half at the moment.

We know the wealth of the Blues owners, but they still have to be mindful of the FFP regulations, and there may come a time when they have to cash in on James for the benefit of the club.

But, with James effectively under contract until 2026 due to an option the club has, they are under no pressure to cash in this month unless a substantial bid arrives, which surely has to be at least £10m. Although, with Palace having offered £18.5m for Blackburn's Adam Wharton, you could argue that £10m would be cheap.

Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how this plays out, and if Birmingham