How has Jordan James got on after leaving Birmingham City? | OneFootball

FLW looks at how the Blues' academy graduate is faring in Ligue 1

The summer of 2024 saw plenty of change occur at Birmingham City, with a rebuild on the cards after relegation.

However, 28 league games into the League One campaign, circumstances are looking extremely rosy for those associated with this particular half of the Second City under the management of Chris Davies.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool assistant has received ample backing from Knighthead Capital Management in the transfer market, and a Blues side which was newly-formed in the summer currently finds themselves seven points ahead of second-place Wycombe Wanderers at the third tier summit.

Of course, in order to accommodate the mass influx of new signings at St Andrew's @ Knigthead Park, several names had to depart the club, and one of those came in the form of academy product, Jordan James.

The young Welsh midfielder made a name for himself in B9 after coming through the ranks, following in Jude Bellingham's footsteps.

And, whilst one former Birmingham midfielder's exploits for Real Madrid continue to be publicised, Football League World looks at how James has fared in his opening months for his new club, Stade Rennais, after his departure in August could see Blues bank in excess of £8m - all of which will be classed as 'total profit' due to honing his craft in the underage groups at Wast Hills.

How Jordan James has fared for Stade Rennais after leaving Birmingham City

James was continuously linked with Premier League or continental moves during the latter stages of his stint at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, with his final season bringing a tally of eight goals in 42 Championship appearances, earning him a place on the second tier's Young Player of the Season shortlist, unsurprisingly losing out to Archie Gray, now of Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite regular involvement in pre-season for Blues, it took a while for the 16-time international to bed into the starting XI at Roazhon Park.

James made his debut for the Brittany club through an 18-minute cameo in a 3-1 defeat to Strasbourg, who are managed by former Hull City boss, Liam Rosenior, before also appearing from the bench against Montpellier and Lens.

By the end of October, the Hereford-born box-to-box midfielder had racked up more minutes for Wales than his club side, which was reflective of his social media posts at the time, although he hasn't looked back in the past three months in terms of featuring on a consistent basis.

However, that has coincided with a tumultous period for Les Rouge et Noirs, who have dismissed both Julien Stephan and Jorge Sampaoli since November, with Habib Beye recently replacing the Argentinian.

James has started the last nine consecutive games in Ligue 1 since making his first start in the competition against Saint-Étienne in a 5-0 home success, whilst his only goal for the club thus far came in a Coupe de France encounter away at Bordeaux on December 22nd.

The 20-year-old certainly endeared himself to his new supporters with his 59th-minute finish from the edge of the box, as well as noting a similarity between the club's adopted 'Bro Gozh ma zadou' anthem and the well-known Welsh national anthem.

"For my first home match, it sounded familiar. When I realised it was the same tune as the Welsh anthem, it was quite special. It definitely brings back memories every time I hear it," he told the Ligue 1 website in December.

Birmingham City's midfield has excelled in League One without Jordan James

Whilst James is starting to showcase his current and future potential for the side currently 12th in the French top flight, it would be fair to say that Birmingham's midfield has excelled this season without his services.

Paik Seung-Ho and Tomoki Iwata have been the two standout performers in that regard, with the South Korean international continuously oozing class in the middle of the park, whilst the Japanese midfielder, who was signed from Celtic for an undisclosed fee, already has seven goals to his name in Royal Blue, with his thunderbolt against Newcastle United in the FA Cup, the pick of the bunch.

There have been plenty of Bluenoses who have remained supportive of the Welshman since he opted to leave the West Midlands at the beginning of the season, and that feeling is likely to be reciprocated by the man who made 105 appearances for the club, as they look set to make an immediate return to the Championship.