West Ham United steal march on Leicester City as contact made to sign Jordan James

West Ham United are interested in signing Jordan James from Birmingham City as they look to beat Atalanta and Leicester City to his signature, according to The Sun.

Julen Lopetegui already has an eye for the midfielder as he is said to have had him on his radar when he was manager of Wolves.

Atlanta placed a bid for James in the January transfer window but now the Hammers are set to challenge them.

Recently promoted side, Leicester are also said to be interested in the Welshman with West Ham set to challenge them both this summer.

Should West Ham sign Jordan James?

Birmingham were relegated from the Championship this season which would point towards this being an odd signing.

The 19-year-old was a standout for the Blues this campaign which has seen him called up to the Welsh national team on multiple occasions.

Despite his tender age, he has made over 100 appearances in the Championship and has generally impressed throughout his career so far.

He is a very versatile midfielder who is able to play in attacking or defensive roles depending on where Birmingham have needed him.

James added goals to his game in 2024 which saw him notch up eight throughout 2,298 minutes under various managers [FotMob].

Given that Lopetegui has shown interest in him in the past, he could prove to be a shrewd piece of business this summer.

With the Blues being relegated to League One, they may look to cash in on their young star with Premier League and European interest.

There is no guarantee he will affect the first team straight away but he could be worth the risk at just 19.

In other West Ham news, Kevin Nolan has broken his silence following his London Stadium exit and Lopetegui’s appointment

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