West Ham United lurk in 'massive scramble' to sign Jordan James

Jordan James is ready to drop to the Championship as West Ham United enter the race to sign him.

After suffering relegation to League One with Leicester last season, the midfielder returned to parent club, Rennes.

Despite that shock, the Wales international was a standout performer in the entire division in a failing squad.

Now, West Ham have identified James as someone who could fire them back to the Premier League.

With competition high, Nuno Espirito Santo would need to move quickly to secure his new midfielder at the London Stadium.

Thankfully, West Ham have plenty of money to make it work.

Who is in the race to sign Jordan James?

Players of this quality don't become readily available often.

Rennes took a punt on James from Birmingham City in 2024, probably hoping for a Jude Bellingham-esque impact.

That didn't happen, and a loan to Leicester last season will lead to a permanent exit this summer.

Alan Nixon has reported via his Patreon that Rennes want £10million to sell him permanently, rather than another loan.

Wolves, Middlesbrough and Burnley are all interested parties.

It's said that Wolves are "desperate" to land him, as the Hammers lurk in the background with a "massive scramble" underway in the Championship.

Why Jordan James would be perfect for West Ham

You often hear that certain transfers would be perfect, but without much merit behind the statement.

That certainly isn't the case here.

West Ham kicked off their season with a 3-1 win over Portsmouth in the Carabao Cup on Saturday.

While it was great to get the win, there were clear holes in the squad.

Edson Alvarez started in midfield, but there are doubts over his future beyond this window in East London.

Alongside him were Lewis Orford and Mahamadou Kante, both promising and upcoming midfielders.

But, will those two starting each week get West Ham promoted? Probably not.

With James Ward-Prowse unused off the bench and Tomas Soucek injured, Nuno clearly needs reinforcements.

James is perfect for that, with his 11 goals and four assists last season despite being relegated showing what he can do.

With interest growing and Wolves showing their hands early, West Ham need to jump ahead of the queue quickly if they want to sign him.