Jordan James has revealed he rejected multiple Premier League approaches this summer to join Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan, confirming that any prospect of a move to Wrexham had firmly passed by the time the most recent transfer window opened.

Premier League was on the table, but James looked elsewhere

The Wales midfielder, who joined Wolves on loan from French club Rennes last month, says the decision to return to the Championship was a deliberate one rooted in wanting to be part of a winning environment.

"There were a lot of opportunities. I had a lot of offers on the table. I just didn't think it was right," James told BBC Sport. "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."

That desire to be at a club competing for promotion, rather than one potentially fighting for survival at the top flight, appears to have been the key factor in his thinking. Wolves, according to James, fitted the bill immediately.

"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."

Wrexham link firmly in the past

James had been heavily linked with Wrexham before ultimately signing for Leicester City last summer, and questions have lingered over whether the Welsh club might yet secure a high-profile compatriot. He put those to rest without hesitation.

"That ship sailed I think. It was on last year," he said, making clear that the Wrexham conversation belongs to the summer of 2025 and has not been revisited since.

His time at Leicester was by any individual measure a success. James was named player of the year at the club, contributing 11 goals in 34 appearances. The collective outcome, however, was far less satisfying: the Foxes were relegated, leaving him to seek a fresh challenge rather than consider staying on.

"Leicester is a club that I love dearly, they gave me the most confidence to go out and perform," James added. "Obviously it didn't go the way I wanted it to. 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."

Finding his feet at Molineux

Six league appearances have followed since James arrived at Molineux, all coming from the bench. His only starts this season have been in the EFL Cup, meaning he is still working his way into the starting plans of the Wolves coaching staff in the Championship. The club have an option to buy included in the loan agreement, which runs until the end of the season, giving both parties a route to a permanent arrangement if things develop as James hopes.

The 22-year-old's focus in the short term will be international football, with Wales facing Portugal in the Nations League on Thursday evening. His form in that fixture could carry weight back in the Championship, where Wolves are among the clubs with genuine promotion ambitions this season.

For Wrexham supporters who might have wondered whether a move across Wales was ever seriously back on the agenda, James has now made the situation clear: his attention is fixed firmly on the top of the second tier, and on using Molineux as a platform to reach the Premier League on his own terms.

Frequently asked

Why did Jordan James join Wolves instead of a Premier League club?
James says he turned down Premier League offers because he did not want to risk being part of a struggling side again, having experienced relegation with both Birmingham City and Leicester City. He chose Wolves as a Championship club with genuine promotion ambitions.
Is Jordan James joining Wrexham?
No. James confirmed that any interest from Wrexham belonged to the summer of 2025 and did not resurface in the most recent transfer window. He is now on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Does Wolves have an option to buy Jordan James?
Yes. According to BBC Sport, Wolves hold an option to sign James permanently when his loan from Rennes expires at the end of the season.