Leeds United are readying a swoop for Manchester United starlet Daniel James, as Marcelo Bielsa looks to shore up his attacking options.
According to The Sun, Daniel James has once again become a hot-topic at Leeds United. The exciting winger was almost on the verge of moving to Yorkshire in January last year before he eventually ended up joining Manchester United, in a £15.3 million transfer from Swansea last summer.
However, James is yet to establish himself as a first-choice starter for Manchester United despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s insistence of building his team around young players. As a result, Leeds now believe they can secure his services this summer, either on loan or for a permanent transfer worth around £12 million-plus add ons.
Last season, James was involved in nine goals in 33 Premier League fixtures, which is rather disappointing given the promising start that he had. He was, in fact, a regular member of the United attack during the first half of the campaign.
That said, the Welshman’s eventual downfall began at the start of 2020 when the Reds brought in Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese international filled the creative void in the final third, allowing Solskjaer to make chops and changes in regards to his team selection in the wide attacking department.
It ultimately favoured Manchester United’s academy product, Mason Greenwood, with the youngster becoming one of the club’s best performers during the backend of last season. He built a formidable attacking partnership alongside the likes of Fernandes, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, leaving James deep down the pecking order.
A move to Leeds United, therefore, seems like a good option for the Manchester United starlet as he seeks to revive his career and retain his status as one of UK’s most talented attackers.
The Whites have shown a lot of promise in the Premier League in their first two matches, playing two high scoring fixtures against Fulham and Liverpool. James, in that regard, could be an ideal fit to Marcelo Bielsa’s high-intensity game that often requires athleticism and pace – something he could ideally offer.
Not to mention, James has garnered some useful experience at the highest level of football during his one year spell at Old Trafford so far. It could prove to be useful for a Leeds United side, who do lack experience if nothing else.
So, it will be interesting to see whether or not the Whites can through with his deal, which does seem unlikely as Manchester United might not risk selling one of their wingers after seemingly missing out on prime target Jadon Sancho.