Tony Mowbray quipped that Jordan James could be worth more than £30 million by the next transfer window after Birmingham City resisted selling their most prized asset in January.
Blues rebuffed a succession of pitiful proposals from Serie A club Atalanta, and James stayed put. Mowbray is now looking to develop the 19-year-old to guarantee his worth skyrockets before the summer transfer window.
“Thirty-odd million, it’s got to be?” Mowbray joked when questioned about James’ valuation. “I do not know. I’d never say what he said. But we did talk about how he compares himself to Wharton.
Needless to say, James is worth much more than Atlanta offered. Mowbray continued, “I don’t think you can dispute with that. He is a young international player who plays most weeks and contributes goals. “I think the club is making the right decision.”
Mowbray is using Adam Wharton, who joined Crystal Palace from Blackburn Rovers for a fee that increased to £22 million on deadline day, as a barometer to assess James’ value. James is five months Wharton’s younger, but he has 37 more senior appearances (88-51).
James has eight full caps for Wales, while Wharton is an England under-21 international. And James’ six goals in 27 Championship games this season are far higher than Wharton’s two in 26.
Mowbray continued, “He can score goals, first and foremost. For a little boy, he understands where the net is. I admire his ability to accelerate and shift pace in midfield; he has some power in his legs. He’s a self-assured boy who refuses to be bullied.
