- Palace eyeing Jordan James
- Championship Young Player of the Season
- The long-term Wharton replacement
Rumours are circulating linking Crystal Palace with Stade Rennais midfielder Jordan James. Palace were linked with James last Summer before his loan move to Leicester City, and according to Sébastien Vidal, James is ‘highly regarded’ by Palace.
James spent the season on loan with Leicester and impressed at the King Power Stadium despite the Foxes’ relegation to the English Third tier.
Palace have opened preliminary talks with James’ representatives, and have been tracking him closely.
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Who is Jordan James?
A Birmingham City academy graduate, James made his first team debut for Blues at just 17-years-old. He then spent two seasons in Birmingham’s first team before Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais swooped in and signed him for just £4.1 million.
James spent a season in France before being shipped out on loan to Leicester City. James played a key role for the Foxes, scoring eleven goals and recording four assists.
However, Leicester were relegated to League One and James will return to Rennais upon the expiry of his loan deal.
James won the Championship Young Player of the Season award and is represented by Unique Sport Group, the same agency who represent Maxence Lacroix, Dean Henderson and Brennan Johnson.
James represents Wales on the international stage and has played 26 times for his country.
He’s valued at around £15 million, and Palace are reportedly keen on striking a deal.
James scout report
James is an all-action central midfielder who demonstrates a superb work rate, strong defensive ability and also excellent ball progression.
His long range striking ability is probably the most eye-catching of his traits. He has scored a raft of goals from outside the box, and would certainly add some much needed firepower from midfield for Palace.
His long passing is a strength of his game, finding line-breaking through balls under pressure. Set pieces are also a strength, and he thrives from deep, wide, free kicks.
Accurate crossing has seen him create numerous chances for teammates, and this ability shows from all parts of the pitch.
Defensively, James is an extremely hard worker. His ball recovery is fantastic, and he also makes very few errors.
In terms of a succession plan for Palace, Adam Wharton is likely to attract large interest this Summer, with Liverpool already reportedly interested. Whilst James is not yet at the level of the Palace man, he is certainly a strong candidate to replace him in the long term.
