Player Birmingham City sold last year emerges on radar of Burnley

Birmingham City are gearing up for life in the Championship after their recent League One promotion. The Blues won the title at the first time of asking. They went up along with Wrexham and Charlton Athletic and have a big summer ahead of them now.

Chris Davies has the chance to bring in some new signings over the coming months. He also has the opportunity to let some players head out the exit door when the next transfer window opens up for business. The Midlands have been linked with a few individuals over recent times.

Former Birmingham City man Jordan James wanted

Former Birmingham midfielder Jordan James has emerged on the radar of Burnley, according to journalist Alan Nixon on his Patreon page. The Blues sold the Wales international to Rennes last summer. He has since made 25 appearances in all competitions for the French club, 23 of which have come in Ligue 1.

James, 20, could be seen by the Clarets as someone to boost their midfield ranks. Scott Parker’s side are preparing for the Premier League after they finished 2nd in the table behind Leeds United. They will hope that they can get their recruitment right to avoid a year of struggle in the top flight.

The youngster rose up through the academy at Birmingham and was a regular at various different youth levels. He broke into the first-team in 2021 and subsequently became a key player. The Hereford-born man went on to play 105 games altogether and found the net on 10 occasions before heading out the exit door 12 months ago.

How is Jordan James faring away from Birmingham City?

James has recently admitted that moving to France has helped toughen him up. He told BBC Sport in March: "Going to France has really built me up in a character way, personally and on the pitch. I feel I can influence games a lot more now. I'm still young, but I don't feel like that young kid anymore."

He added: "I went there [Rennes] with a lot of hope of playing and I never did. It was a new environment – something massive for me and my family – and I had to keep my head down and keep working.

"A new coach came in and I played every game. I've got used to the place and now I feel at home. When I do come here [to Wales] it's obviously a lot easier when I am playing football in France. I've been in the gym a lot in France. They are very athletic and I've looked to bring that into my game, because I need to be able to cope over there.”

Burnley risk losing Josh Brownhill when his contract expires at the end of the month. Therefore, ex-Blues man James may have been identified as his replacement. It remains to be seen at this stage whether the Clarets will firm up their reported interest with an official offer. If they did, Rennes would have a big decision to make on whether to keep him or let him return to England.