Jordan James rejects Premier League moves to target promotion with Wolves

Jordan James says he rejected several possible Premier League moves before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan, with the Wales midfielder determined to help Wolves win promotion and secure his own route to the top flight.

James chose Wolves over Premier League offers

James moved to Wolves from French club Rennes last month after spending the previous season on loan at Leicester City. Although he had “a lot of offers on the table”, the 21-year-old decided that an immediate Premier League switch was not the right move.

“I didn't want to go to the Premier League and be in a losing team again,” James said. “I've been in a losing team now with Birmingham and with Leicester, I want to win games.”

Wolves are promotion contenders in the Championship, and the club have an option to buy James when his loan ends next summer. The midfielder believes the move can provide the platform he needs to reach the highest level.

“It's a big club, a club that's looking to get promoted and the place I want to be is the Premier League,” James said. “I know that I'm good enough to be there. It's just obviously showing that and being at a club that were able to give me that opportunity and I feel like Wolves is the place.”

Wrexham interest is no longer current

James also dismissed renewed suggestions that Wrexham could be his destination. He was strongly linked with the Welsh club before joining Leicester, but said that possibility had ended during the summer of 2025.

“That ship sailed I think. It was on last year,” James said. “I'm glad I went to Leicester, I had such a good season - I enjoyed it so much.”

James was named Leicester’s player of the year after scoring 11 goals in 34 appearances, although he could not prevent the club from being relegated to League One. He said Leicester had given him the confidence to perform, but the relegation forced him to consider a new challenge.

“Leicester is a club that I love dearly, they gave me the most confidence to go out and perform,” he said. “Obviously it didn't go the way I wanted it to [for the team]. Probably if we'd done a bit better I would have thought about staying, but obviously we got relegated so I had to look elsewhere and Wolves was the place straight away.”

Limited league starts so far

James has scored once in six league appearances for Wolves, all of them from the bench. His only starts this season have come in the EFL Cup, but he is expected to start for Wales in their Nations League opener against Portugal.

The former Birmingham City youngster said his focus is now on proving himself at Wolves while helping the club return to the Premier League.