Wales international Jordan James has revealed he rejected several Premier League offers before opting for a loan move to Championship promotion hopefuls Wolverhampton Wanderers, while also confirming that any prospect of joining Wrexham is firmly in the past.
The midfielder, whose parent club is French side Rennes, spent last season on loan in the second tier with Leicester City after being widely tipped for a switch to Wrexham. That deal never materialized, and James made clear this week that the opportunity has now passed entirely.
Asked directly whether Wrexham could have been an option in the recent transfer window, James was unequivocal. "That ship sailed I think. It was on last year," he said. "I'm glad I went to Leicester, I had such a good season - I enjoyed it so much."
James enjoyed a standout campaign at the King Power Stadium, netting 11 goals in 34 appearances and earning the club's player of the year award. Despite his individual impact, Leicester could not avoid the drop to League One, a result that ultimately shaped his next career move.
"Leicester is a club that I love dearly, they gave me the most confidence to go out and perform," James explained. "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."
The 21-year-old, who came through Birmingham City's academy, has made six Championship appearances for Wolves this season, all from the substitutes' bench, along with starts in the EFL Cup. Wolverhampton hold an option to make the move permanent once the loan spell concludes next summer, and James has outlined his ambitions to help the club return to the Premier League.
"It's a big club, a club that's looking to get promoted and the place I want to be is the Premier League," he 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."
Reflecting on the summer transfer window, James acknowledged that a top-flight move had been within reach but insisted he prioritized playing for a competitive side over stepping straight into the Premier League. "There were a lot of opportunities. I had a lot of offers on the table. I just didn't think it was right," he said. "I didn't want to go to the Premier League and be in a losing team again. I've been in a losing team now with Birmingham and with Leicester, I want to win games."
James is now expected to feature prominently for Wales as they open their Nations League A campaign against Portugal in Lisbon on Thursday. The Estádio José Alvalade clash marks the beginning of a testing group phase for Craig Bellamy's side, with James tipped to start after impressing during his time on international duty.
His club situation at Wolves remains one to watch closely, with the midfielder eager to prove himself worthy of a permanent switch and, ultimately, a return to the Premier League stage he believes he belongs on.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.