Why West Ham target Jordan James honoured 'quality' Mason Mount at career milestone
West Ham United target Jordan James has previously cited Mason Mount as being a big inspiration when crafting his own game.
West Ham Zone has previously revealed the Hammers' interest in signing James this summer, with the midfielder possibly looking to leave Rennes.
The 22-year-old spent the 2025-26 season out on loan with Leicester City in the Championship, but that ended in the Foxes suffering a shock relegation to League One.
Despite that, James was far and away Leicester's best player, taking home their Men's Player of the Season, Players' Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards.
James was also named the Championship's Young Player of the Season for 2025-26 too, having scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 34 second-tier games.
The Wales international would be a statement signing for West Ham as a result, with Irons fans potentially having Mount to thank if he signs and subsequently shines at the London Stadium.
What has Jordan James said about Mason Mount?
Aged just 17, James made his competitive senior debut for Birmingham City in November 2021, and Blues fans instantly knew they had a special talent on their books.
In charge of Brum at the time was Lee Bowyer, and when he asked James to select his first-team squad number, the midfielder only had one in mind: 19.
Speaking later to The Athletic in June 2022, James revealed that he'd chosen that number as a nod to then-Chelsea star Mount, before revealing just how highly he regarded the now-Manchester United man.
“He’s my favourite player at the moment, so 19 just felt right,” James said.
“Every time I watch him, he’s the hardest worker on the pitch and that’s a really big thing for me.
“He’s got so much quality and he brings so much. I like how he can go back and forward, and I think that’s similar to my game.”
James blew Mount's numbers out the water in 2025-26
Developing through Birmingham's academy system primarily as a defensive midfielder, James' idolisation and modelling of his game around Mount might have appeared strange at the time.
However, he's now clearly been able to evolve into much more of a box-to-box midfielder, with strides evidently taken last term in improving his attacking output.
So much so that when comparing both Mount's and James' numbers from their respective league campaigns last season, albeit in separate divisions with differing squad roles, the latter but his idol to shame.
As per FotMob, James created 55 chances, registered a 61 per cent shot accuracy, made 1.27 clearances per 90 and recorded 4.62 expected assists from 34 Championship games in 2025-26.
Meanwhile, Mount created just 13 chances, put up a 38 per cent shot accuracy, made 0.80 clearances per 90 and registered 1.62 expected assists from 23 Premier League outings respectively.
The 27-year-old United man only netted three times in the top flight last term, whilst also providing zero assists.
So, should James continue on the trajectory he's on, there's seemingly every chance he could surpass where Mount is at in terms of his Premier League production when the Rennes starlet reaches 27 in five years' time.
West Ham would be wise to get a deal done for him ASAP, as in James, Nuno Espirito Santo might just find his Mateus Fernandes successor of the future.