Credit: Imago, Manh Tung - Breaking Media

Oliver Walton

Thu 7 May 2026 9:00, UK

Follow us on Google Discover

West Ham United have been given a clear indication of Jordan James’ calibre after he won three end-of-season awards at loan club Leicester City.

James was recently crowned the Championship’s Young Player of the Season following an impressive campaign at the King Power Stadium.

He was unable to help Leicester stay in the second tier, however, and is now a target for numerous clubs as he looks set to leave his parent club, Ligue 1 side Rennes, again this summer.

The Hammers are one of those interested sides amid plans to bolster Nuno Espirito Santo’s midfield options as Mateus Fernandes is linked with a move away.

West Ham’s transfer plans will hinge on whether they stay in the Premier League this season, but they have now been shown exactly why they should sign James regardless of what division they are in.

Jordan James has won three individual awards at Leicester

James registered the third-most goal contributions of any midfielder in the Championship at Leicester, and was their clear standout player throughout the campaign.

His fine form has seen an exit from Rennes seem likely, but he is set to return to the East Midlands, with sources telling West Ham Zone that the Hammers are interested in James as it stands.

They are still fighting for their place in the top flight, but are understood to want to sign the 21-year-old no matter which league they are in next season.

West Ham will no doubt have been watching James for a while, but his latest exploits at Leicester prove that a move would make sense this summer.

The club announced on Wednesday that James had picked up their Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards.

It is clear that he is highly rated by all at the club, as well as their fans, as it is certainly not commonplace for a loan player to sweep every award unless they are pretty special.

Leicester’s relegation has meant that many supporters have grown apathetic towards most of their players, but James was still competing with the likes of Abdul Fatawu and Jannik Vestergaard for the crowns, and the triple victory shows just how good he promises to be in years to come.

Which clubs are competing with West Ham for James this summer?

James took to Instagram earlier this week to send a goodbye message to Leicester’s fans, saying that he was “gutted” for how the season had panned out and wishing them luck for the future.

It is pretty clear that they hold no chance of signing him this summer, especially now that a current Premier League side has registered their interest in his services.

He is still under contract with parent club Rennes until 2028, but reports out of France have claimed that they will look to sell him for a profit after a £4million move from Birmingham City in 2024

Sources have exclusively revealed to Football Insider that Leeds are interested in James ahead of the summer, so West Ham may need to accelerate a move as soon as the season ends this month.