Manchester United are reportedly set to seal a £15 million deal to sign 21-year-old Swansea City winger Daniel James.
According to a report by Manchester Evening News, Manchester United on the cusp of securing the services of Daniel James. The Premier League heavyweights have already agreed personal terms with the Swansea City winger, who is set to make his way to Old Trafford in a £15 million deal.
Reinforcing the right side of the attack has been a priority for Manchester United for the better part of two years now, if not longer. The arrival of Alexis Sanchez did not change things whatsoever, while the likes of Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata, who appears set to leave the club, have been ineffective.
With attacking movements becoming quite predictable, oppositions have found Manchester United rather easy to contain at times. For a long time, Jadon Sancho was seen as the ideal target for the Red Devils to pursue in this summer’s transfer window.
But, with Champions League football not on offer, United are unlikely to land the English winger. They have thus, turned their attention towards Daniel James, a player whose capture would align with their reported ideology of building a core group of players who will serve them well in the long-term.
James is not predominantly a right winger. But, the 21-year-old can operate on either side of attack equally adeptly. A direct winger with a bagful of pace, the Welsh international had a return of 4 goals and 9 assists in 33 Championship appearances this term.
Given his age and the potential he has shown, James could prove to be a solution for the right side of the attack. But, seeing as the likes of Sanchez and Anthony Martial could both reportedly be on their way out of Manchester United, the player could even end up being a long-term left winger at Old Trafford.
Either way, £15 million is a low-risk investment that could pay off handsomely, if James gets the required grooming. Recent reports had suggested that Manchester United had agreed personal terms with the 21-year-old winger, but the move had been held up due to his father’s demise.
Manchester Evening News, meanwhile, claim that Swansea are resigned to losing James and the transfer is now almost set to happen, with club chairman Trevor Birch alluding towards as much in a recent interview. The fee could rise from £15 million to £20 million with add-ons.
And, the report suggests that the move could formally happen before James joins the Welsh national side for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Croatia and Hungary. A complex rebuild job is set to get underway with the £15 million capture of Daniel James.
