The 22-year-old was one of Darren Way’s most consistent performers in League Two last season and is expected to cost under £500,000.

Yeovil Town have only sold one player for cash in the past four years, and that was winger Otis Khan, who joined Mansfield Town earlier this summer for around £100,000.

However, there is interest in James from Swansea and Hull which could drive up the fee for the full-back beyond that.

“We don’t want to sell our best players but we are at least in a position to be remunerated for departures that will allow this club to continue to evolve,” said Glovers boss Way, earlier this month.

James is a versatile defender who plays predominantly right-back but can also fill in at left-back, centre-back or right midfield.

He is being chased by the Baggies to provide competition for Allan Nyom.

Capped for Wales under-19s, the Cardiff City academy product featured 51 times for Yeovil last season, helping them reach the fourth round of the FA Cup and the semi-final of the Checkatrade Trophy.

Albion have already signed two defenders this summer after selling Jonny Evans to Leicester for £3.5m and releasing Gareth McAuley.

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The Baggies have snapped up Kyle Bartley from Swansea in a £4m deal potentially rising to £6m should they get promoted, and have brought in Conor Townsend from Scunthorpe for a fee in the region of £750,000.

However, there is still uncertainty surrounding the futures of Craig Dawson and Ahmed Hegazi.

Dawson handed in a transfer request earlier this summer in an attempt to force a move through to Burnley, although the Baggies are refusing to budge over their £20m valuation.

Brighton and Newcastle are reportedly interested in Hegazi.

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Having been light on numbers at the back this summer, Baggies boss Darren Moore has been playing free agent Martin Cranie in defence throughout pre-season.

The 31-year-old, who was released by Middlesbrough in summer, is a contingency plan should Albion end the summer without enough bodies in defence.

The transfer window shuts in just over a week’s time on Thursday, August 9, but EFL clubs can still bring in players on loan until August 31.