‘Keen to move’ – Fabrizio Romano confirms Birmingham City transfer stance of Everton and Wolves target

Current transfer rumours surrounding Birmingham City indicate that one of their best players may leave the team this summer.

According to Fabrizio Romano, despite the club’s relegation, Atlanta, an Italian team, is still interested in midfielder Jordan James of Birmingham City.

The 19-year-old will be in high demand this summer after the team turned down several bids from the Serie A team. James, who will still be a youngster in July, was a bright spot in the otherwise dismal Blues season and was nominated for the Championship Young Player of the Year award.

In addition to Atlanta, he has drawn interest from Premier League teams like Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Wolves, and Everton. The Championship club placed a minimum £10 million price tag on the midfielder after he scored eight goals in 42 games.

Next season, Birmingham will play in the third division of English football, and a reputable journalist has reported that James would like to look for greener pastures this summer. He has a deal that runs until the summer of 2025, with the option to extend it by another year. However, if a club can work out a fair transfer fee this summer, he might very well leave.

On Tuesday night, May 21, transfer guru Romano tweeted: “Atalanta continues to keep an eye on Jordan James as a possible summer transfer target.

“Welsh midfielder, keen to move away and try new chapter after Birmingham City turned down approaches for James from the Italian club last year.”

James may still be in the Wales team for their next friendlies, so his season may not be gone yet. The Dragons are playing Slovakia and Gibraltar ahead of their UEFA Nations League campaign, which kicks off in September, despite not having qualified for EURO 2024.

Rob Page, the manager of his country’s national team, thinks the midfield player has demonstrated that he can perform at the greatest level. In the winter, James played for Wales and defeated a Croatian squad that included Mateo Kovacic of Manchester City and Luka Modric, the winner of the Ballon d’Or.

The 49-year-old acknowledged that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if James departed St Andrew’s, but it might depend on if the Blues decide to cling onto him and utilise him as the leader of their promotion campaign. In addition, Page said that he was aware of the player’s “definitely” growing interest.

In an interview with BBC Sport Wales, Page stated, “I think he has proven at top international level, against top midfielders in Croatia, to name one team, [that] he is more than capable of playing at that level as a [number] six.”