By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
There are transfer targets West Ham can afford to miss out on, but Jordan James isn’t one of them.
If the Wales midfielder ends up at Wolves, the Hammers won’t simply have missed out on a player I believe would improve Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad — they’ll have allowed one of their biggest promotion rivals to become stronger.
West Ham’s interest in James is nothing new. The midfielder has been on the Hammers’ radar for some time following an impressive Championship campaign with Leicester City.
James was believed to be the back-up option should West Ham’s efforts to sign Celtic’s Arne Engels draw a blank. But now, with talkSPORT’s Alex Crook reporting that Wolves’ £10m move for the midfielder is advancing, it puts huge pressure on the Hammers recruitment team.
Speaking on X, Crook said: “Wolves are advancing in a move for £10m rated Jordan James”.
West Ham can’t hand Wolves an advantage
To put it bluntly, it would appear that West Ham are allowing a potentially outstanding, free-scoring midfielder to join a team expected to be one of our closest promotion rivals.
Because make no mistake about it, Wolverhampton Wanderers are already well placed for promotion.
Therefore, the potential impact on West Ham of this transfer can’t be understated.
Signing James for around £10m — less than half the reported £25m asking price for Engels — would represent good business for the Hammers. It would also deny one of our biggest rivals a midfielder who demonstrated last season that he can score heavily at Championship level.
James scored 11 league goals during his loan spell at Leicester and, as we’ve previously highlighted, already has experience of performing in a team under pressure in this division.
| Jordan James | Key Stat |
|---|---|
| Championship goals | 11 |
| Goals from outside the box | 4 |
| Shot assists per 90 | 1.37 |
| Progressive passes per 90 | 4.14 |
| Defensive duels won | 60.2% |
There is still time to act
The one comforting factor is that the deal has not yet been completed, so there is still time for West Ham to make their move.
But as things currently stand, we appear to be a club selling players rather than bringing new ones in.
Understandably, there’s increasing nervousness amongst supporters with the Championship opener against Burnley looming. The importance of that fixture has been obvious since the Championship schedule was announced.
As West Ham fans, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that transfer business is done within the next 48 hours.
But right now, it doesn’t look promising.
Allowing one of our major promotion rivals to move for a player we should be signing, particularly given his impressive goalscoring record in the Championship last season, may well prove to be a costly error.
Bringing James in has got no reflection on our academy players.
Its all about depth and whu need to increase theirs.
Buying injury prone players (Solomon & Nelson) will want fit replacements.
Do whu really think they are going to kill championship think again.
Forget Engles nobody knows whether he will be available.
Is he actually affordable.
James & Thomas are more cost affective not as cheap as Vardy.
There’s also Disasi & Parrott.
WH is very slow in decision making when it comes to hiring. James in his favor has the physicality and is already adapted to the Championship. In the end we may miss out on both James AND Engels. When will see part of the sales money being actually reinvested in new players?
I agree with Charlie we have given right to buy players who we allegedly want. I have said many times before Gonzo there is far more to signing a player than just go and get them. Agents fees, wages demands, selling clubs clauses etc. If it is possible then I would like to think we would get a player of his experience.
I agree we need to strengthen the squad asap Burnley will be a difficult game to get anything from Portsmouth after all are one of the favourites to get relegated
We should ”STOP-OUR-LOWBALL-OFFERS-TACTICS” and just get on with it and pay what other clubs want 4 there players. just the same as we held out 4 what we wanted when it came 2 us selling 2 of our best players.
And we should of forgot about Arne Engels ”WEEKS-AGO” Martin O’neal wants 2 keep him until they play there Champs-League-Games. ”That’s-Crazy. 4 both the player and us. he wants out of there, and playing in them games he could get an injury and scupper his chances 4 a move away.
When we were told all that. was the time we should of changed our plain of attack and bought Jordan James 4 less than half Engels price. and i can see the same thing happening with the Parrott saga. we’ll end up missing out on him and buying Dju the injury prone guy. somethings gotta be sorted out guys ”COME-ON” C O Y I’s
Any of our youngsters would have stood out playing for Leicester, it doesn’t make then exceptional. James is no better than what we have, he just stood out in a mediocre Leicester team
Would this guy have been a big upgrade on what we have, not sure. Engels makes sense to me, even for £25m, as he has performed well at CL and international level, but it seems money is tight despite all the sales. However I wish we would get a move on with Parrott as number 9/10 is where we are desperately short, way too reliant on Taty. Never easy being a West Ham fan, just have to hope that those in charge will come good before the window closes.
The later we leave these signings the dearer they will become. Deadline day means panic and desperation which isn’t cured cheaply
Feel a bit the same given lack of impetus/direction/decision making. Maybe once club has sorted itself out at all levels.
Although Stavely/Gold/maybe DK (but not sure) .. make me fear the worse for the club’s identity, same way Bezos/Liverpool, FIFA Infantino, FA inaction make me fear the worse for top tier football.
Other things to worry about and just look forward to match days and the lads on the pitch playing for WHU.
We should be signing is a bit presumptuous and a little bit arrogant, we have no God given right to sign who we want, Wolves are a big club and want promotion as much as West Ham do so consequently will be looking for good players in their quest just like West Ham and many others as well.
Gonzo,we should be signing Parrot, James and Engals. Remember injuries, put pressure on those on the pitch who will know, play badly and they are on the bench next week. Ofcourse it will never happen, because dumb Staveley thinks it’s the right time to try and buy into the club.😡
We are now a selling club they got the season tickets sold sold us down the river more money coming in wonder if Bowen is thinking why did I stay promotion I don’t think so
Maybe Kretinsky does not want to commit funds to West Ham in case the deal with Stavely is successful then he will have committed funds to the Club for which she will reap the benefit and he will basically have lost that money. This is only a theory with no factual basis whatsoever.we will have to wait.
Looking very much like our lovely club are far from massive when it comes to spending
James seems to be built for PL/Championship and has attributes (beats players, shots at goal, drives forwards, assists) which we do not have in abundance at WHU as the youngsters find their footing.
Top teams want him and at 10M you would be hard pushed to not be able to make a profit after only a season or 2 if you decide to sell – although, I hope we keep players like him long term (assuming it all turns out ok).
No.8s Orford/James, No. 6s Kante/Magassa, No.10s Pablo/Earthy + experienced midfielders (Alvarez, JWP, later Soucek to bring control) offers quite a few possibilities and combinations, because I’m just guessing at their respective positions and it is not set in stone anyhow.
10M? Crazy not to, instead of waiting on Engels who is not at all proven as a better midfielder, coming from SP.
How are we surprised when prime transfer targets are missed,we should really be used to it by now,I suspect it will be last minute panic buys and another mish mash of players arriving ,just makes a mockery of the fans loyalty when the management team cannot get deals over the line yet there’s no problem selling
Koppen needs to cop on! Very little urgency and we are falling behind. Has no one done homework and devised a priority list?
Nothing bothers me about west ham anymore gonzo much more things to worry about mate. Why should i worry when it obviously ain’t bothering the people in charge.west ham will be lucky to get a play off place