Leeds United have less than two weeks left to prepare for their opening game of the 2024/25 Championship campaign against Portsmouth at Elland Road.
The Whites failed to win promotion to the Premier League at the end of last season and they are now getting ready for a second year in the second tier.
Daniel Farke's side finished third in the division, just shy of automatic promotion, before they went on to lose in the play-off final to Southampton at Wembley back in May.
As a result of their failure to make their way back to the top-flight, Leeds have had to watch some of their talent move on from Elland Road in recent weeks.
Versatile academy graduate Archie Gray was sold to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur after he won the Championship Young Player of the Year award.
Central midfielder Glen Kamara, who had only joined from Rangers last summer, has also completed a move away from the club to sign for Rennes in Ligue 1.
Leeds have a gap to fill in the middle of the park and have reportedly turned their attention to a player who was relegated from the second tier last term.
Leeds interested in League One star
According to Football Insider, the West Yorkshire outfit are one of the teams interested in a swoop to sign Birmingham City midfielder Jordan James.
The report claims that Farke has made a move to sign the Wales international by registering an interest in the talented youngster this summer.
It states that the Whites have a 'strong interest' in the 20-year-old midfield sensation, who they view as a potential replacement for Glen Kamara.
Football Insider adds that an unnamed Premier League club are also showing an interest in the Birmingham midfielder, which means that Leeds could face some strong competition for his signature.
HITC recently reported that Ipswich Town are leading the race to sign the League One starlet and that Newcastle United are also in the mix to secure his services.
The outlet added that James is expected to move on from St. Andrew's following their relegation from the Championship at the end of last season.
HITC also revealed that it would take a fee within the region of £10m to tempt Birmingham into cashing in on their prized asset, and it remains to be seen whether or not Leeds would be willing to offer that.
If the Whites do end up winning the race for his signature, though, then they could land a dream replacement for Kamara in the middle of the park.
Glen Kamara's season with Leeds
The Finland international was brought in from Scottish giants Rangers on a permanent deal last summer to bolster Farke's options in midfield.
He enjoyed a strong season with the Whites as he showcased his metronomic qualities in possession to help the team to dominate matches.
Kamara ranked within the top 2% of midfielders in the division for pass completion rate (92.7%) and the top 6% for progressive passes per 90 (6.87), which shows that he was reliable and progressive with his use of the ball to find his teammates in dangerous positions.
These statistics show that Farke could rely upon the ex-Gers man in midfield as his ball retention was fantastic and allowed him to dictate the tempo of games.
However, one criticism of his performances – and this could extend to the rest of the midfield options – was that he did not make much of an impact at the top end of the pitch.
No central midfielder in the squad managed more than one goal or three assists in the Championship last term, which shows that the manager did not have much of an attacking threat from that position.
Appearances
37
Goals
0
Big chances missed
3
Big chances created
2
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, Kamara did not provide much in the way of quality in the final third with just three goal contributions in 37 league appearances.
These statistics suggest that Leeds could land a dream replacement for the Finnish whiz by landing a midfielder with the potential to offer more in attack, which is why James could be an excellent addition.
What Jordan James could offer Leeds
Firstly, the Birmingham youngster would come in as a long-term prospect for the Whites at the age of 20. He has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve, which means that it would be a signing for the here-and-now as well as the future.
This means that he is a player Farke could work with on the training pitch to help him grow over the years to come, which could see his performances improve and value grow – leading to the potential for the club to make a profit in the future.
James, who was described as a "standout" young player by journalist Josh Bunting, is also a proven Championship performer who could come in and be a fantastic option for the manager to call upon in the middle of the park.
Appearances
37
42
Goals
0
8
Big chances missed
3
2
Big chances created
2
3
Assists
3
0
As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old star has the quality to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch after his return of eight goals and just two 'big chances' missed last term.
He was also unfortunate to end the season with three fewer assists than Kamara as the midfielder, in fact, created more 'big chances' for his teammates than the Finland international did.
The Welsh star also held his own out of possession with a duel success rate of 51%. This shows that he did not allow opposition players to bully him in physical duels.
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These statistics suggest that the £10m-rated star has the potential to be a dream replacement for Kamara as he can hold his own off the ball whilst offering far more than the now-Rennes ace at the top end of the pitch to help Leeds to win valuable points.