By james art 
Jordan James’ rise up the football ladder at Rennes last summer has certainly led to a pay rise, but how does it compare to his earnings at Birmingham City?
James’ excellent season with the Blues last campaign justified his move to France, but so far the Welshman is struggling to settle at Rennes.
The 20-year-old has so far struggled to become a regular at the Ligue 1 outfit, but it is still early days for James to make his mark following his £8million move in August.
You can’t doubt his ability after his performance at St. Andrew’s last season, but what did the big jump in his career do to his earnings?
We look at how James’ wages have changed since his summer move to northern France.
James’ salary at Rennes
After much interest in the summer, James’ transfer from his boyhood club Birmingham was expected.
What he will consider is the increase in his income. According to CapologyJames is believed to be earning €12,308 (£10,288) a week (we must stress that this is evaluation). this means James is the 18th highest earner out of 25 in Rennes’ squad and for a man of his age that’s pretty impressive.
Although his salary is a reasonable figure, it does not match the estimated average salary in Ligue 1, which stands at €22,300 (£18,643).
This means that James earns a gross annual salary of €640,000 (£535,411), which, as you will see, is a much higher fee than his last season at Birmingham.
Despite his slow start at Rennes, James is bound to break through and start to perform, and to meet the £8million fee paid for the youngster in the summer.
James’ salary at Birmingham City
It must have been surreal when James received his first salary from his club as a boy, but his salary at Birmingham for a player of his quality may have been perceived as low at the time.
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James’ stats with Birmingham in the 2023/24 Championship season, according to FotMob |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
42 |
|
aims |
8 |
|
Chances created |
22 |
|
Fouls won |
41 |
|
% tackles won |
61.5% |
one more time Capology’s figures are an assessment, but the youngster was earning 10 times less than what he currently earns with Rennes, with the figure suggesting he earned £1,154 a week in the 2023/24 season.
That put him third-lowest earner at the club, alongside fellow academy graduates Brandon Kela and Rommel Donovan.
This is a far cry from the average salary for the Blues last season, which stood at £8,694. To put it into perspective in terms of annual salary compared to Rennes, James earned £60,000 a year, giving him an 11% rise at Rennes.
It was always likely to be difficult for Birmingham to retain their academy product after relegation to League 1. He is a player with far more ability than the level and a move to further develop his career has brought the chance of a significant pay rise.
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