Carlton Palmer feels Birmingham City will struggle to keep Jordan James after the summer window, as Leicester City joins a growing list of fans of the midfielder.
Blues have had a dismal campaign, sitting outside the relegation zone on goal difference with eight games remaining following the international break.
Despite the team’s troubles, Jordan James has had a good season, establishing himself as a significant player.
The Welsh international has impressed with his goal-scoring abilities, netting eight goals from midfield, and his overall play has been good.
As a result, it’s maybe not surprising that the teenager is garnering transfer interest from top-tier clubs across Europe.
Atalanta attempted to sign James in January, while Crystal Palace and Newcastle are believed to be interested.
And, according to a new report from last week, Leicester want to sign James, though they will most likely need to win promotion first.
So it appears that the player and the Blues will have a huge decision to make about his future in the summer, but ex-England international Palmer told FLW that James must continue to prioritise game time as he selects his next club.
“James is having a wonderful season with Birmingham. At 19, he’s already made nearly 100 appearances, and his eight goals in the Championship as a midfielder have helped raise his profile significantly.
“He’s a highly bright young man, and a number of Premier League and international clubs are interested in him. With Birmingham, the new owners have arrived, and they are very ambitious in what they want to do, but, as we all know, money talks, so I believe it will be a matter of whether they receive a large enough offer to let him go this summer.
“It would certainly benefit Birmingham if they received a large offer to bring in players to create a push next season, which is what they want to do. They want to return to the big time, therefore you naturally want to keep your best young players.
“It’s possible that James will sign with a Premier League club and then be loaned back to Birmingham for next season. As I have stated, there is no value in young youngsters attending a Premier League club without playing football or receiving an education.
“James is a regular for Birmingham, his fee is only going to go up, his stock is only going to rise, but I think it’s only a matter of time until he joins a Premier League outfit.”
It will be a busy summer for Blues, but the immediate aim is to stay in the Championship, with Gary Rowett likely to take over for the rest of the season.
Then, it’s certain to be a busy window in terms of transfers, and James’ sale may be necessary for Birmingham to stay within the PSR rules if they also want to spend significantly.
Birmingham make the trip to fellow strugglers QPR after the international break.
