Birmingham City are gearing up for life in League One following their relegation from the Championship last season, and they might have to do so without Jordan James, as Ipswich Town is showing interest.

Next season will be Birmingham’s first time in the third tier of English football in nearly 30 years, but the club is aiming for a swift return to the Championship.

The ambitious Birmingham board has reportedly allocated a £20 million budget for transfers and wages to new manager Chris Davies. The club has been active in the transfer market this summer, signing Ryan Allsop, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Alex Cochrane, Christoph Klarer, Willum Thor Willumsson, Marc Leonard, Emil Hansson, and Alfie May, with more signings expected.

Currently, the Blues have not lost any of their key players, with the exception of midfielder Alex Pritchard, who was sold after struggling for game time following his January move from Sunderland.

However, after a strong performance in the Championship last season, midfielder Jordan James is a player who could be on the move before the transfer window closes, with interest from other clubs, including Ipswich Town.

Jordan James transfer latest as Ipswich Town enter the fray

Italian club Atalanta made attempts to sign Jordan James in January, but failed to reach an agreement with Birmingham. Crystal Palace also reportedly submitted a bid for the midfielder.

Atalanta is still interested in James this summer, and he has attracted attention from several other clubs, including Bologna, West Ham United, Leicester City, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford, and Southampton.

However, according to HITC, Ipswich Town is currently leading the race to secure James. The newly-promoted Premier League team is reportedly “looking to try and broker a deal” for the 19-year-old, aiming to bolster their squad with him alongside other recent EFL signings such as Jacob Greaves and Liam Delap.

Birmingham City should hold out for £10m in any Jordan James deal amid Ipswich Town interest

FLW’s Birmingham City fan pundit Mike Gibbs suggests that the Blues should ask for between £5-10 million for Jordan James this summer. Although he has some reservations about James being ready for the Premier League, Gibbs believes that a move to Ipswich Town would be beneficial for the midfielder.

“I think it would be a great move for him,” Mike told Football League World. “Ipswich has experienced a remarkable rise in recent years, and they’ve done it by playing football the right way. It would be a good fit for him.”

Gibbs is uncertain whether James is fully prepared for Premier League football. “You can’t really judge until you challenge yourself at that level. However, he has consistently performed well for Wales over the past year,” he said.

Despite this, Gibbs isn’t convinced James is at the Premier League level yet. “The fee is tricky. Given his contract situation, we’re in a relatively strong position. There was talk of Atalanta’s interest in January, and comparisons to Adam Wharton were made, but I don’t think he’s at that level.”

Gibbs concludes, “Anywhere between £5-10 million would be a solid deal if I’m being honest.”