Wrexham looks at a movement for Rennes midfielder Jordan James, an international in Wales who has been tipped to follow his old teammate Jude Bellingham's remarkable turnout to the highest level
Wrexham seems to sign a star that has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham. The Red Dragons are linked to a move for Welsh International Jordan James after a tough start to their championship campaign.
The 21-year-old midfielder is currently playing for the French side Rennes, which he affiliated with Birmingham City last summer for £ 4 million. Serie A Outfit Parma and Second -class rivals Ippswich Town are also seen as interested in James.
However, the Sun reports that Wrexham, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, are willing to convince them to secure his services. The player born in Hereford was previously supported by the former Wales manager Rob Page to imitate his ex-Birmingham teammate Bellingham by “going to the top” level of football.
According to The Guardian, Page James greeted for his talent after he made his competitive Wales debut at the age of 19 in a 2-0 win over Latvia in September 2023.
“I hope everyone is talking about JJ's performance,” he said. “Every time he has been performed with us, he trained with personality and that is what I ask all young players to do: make an impression, and he did from the first day, only in his body language, how he is in the neighborhood, the way in which he trains.
“He reads the game well, he is athletic, he loves a tackle, he can pass the ball, he can lead it … He checks many boxes; he has everything. He is a great boy and he wants to work hard. He has potential and we will help him achieve that.”
England Icon Bellingham has enjoyed a meteorical turnout since he started his career at Birmingham, before he switched to Borussia Dortmund as a teenager. The midfielder now plays in La Liga with Real Madrid.
Comparisons between Bellingham and James were inevitable, given that they played together in different age groups in Birmingham as young people, despite being the last one year younger. James was previously questioned whether he always thought that Bellingham was destined to make it big during an interview with The Independent.
He said: “You knew at a young age. He was a level above everyone else. He was the most important man and it was the same at the World Cup, he was the best player for me.
“When I was eight years old, I went upstairs and played with him, and you could see how he dribbles and how technically gifted he was.
“He was also not a big grower like me. It was just before he turned 15 that he had his growth spurt, and now he became in a man. That helped him a lot.”
Despite the parallels, James believes that he has his own individual skills, and added: “We have different attributes, it is difficult to compare myself with someone who is already at the top and that is where I am trying to get. But we are raised in the same way, in the same club, with the same philosophies, so hopefully I can reach that height.”
James may not have reached the same heights as Bellingham, but he already has 20 Wales caps to his name and can be seen 25 times for Rennes last season. He also made 105 first team outings for Birmingham after emerging the club's academy before he leaves after their relegation to League One in 2024.
His earlier championship experience is one of the most important assets he would bring to Wrexham. The Welsh -Outfit has only registered one point of their opening of three games in the second layer after signing Sheffield on Wednesday at the weekend.
The meager return comes despite the fact that manager Phil Parkinson this summer makes ten new signing sessions for an amount of more than £ 20 million. When James joins Wrexham, he is greeted by three more Wales after Nathan Broadhead, Kieffer Moore and Danny Ward have previously taken the step in the transfer window.