Dan James: How the hell have Man Utd doubled their money?
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 31 Aug 2021 10:58 BST
- 4 min read
Cast your mind back to January 2019, and Daniel James was so close to being confirmed as a Leeds United player.
A £7 million fee had been agreed, James had successfully completed a medical, was pictured holding up the shirt, and was headed for the training ground. All that was left to do was release the official announcement.
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However, that never came. James was seen as the ideal candidate to join Leeds' high-energy style of play, but the move was blocked at the last-minute by Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins, who wouldn't return the phone calls of Leeds director of football Victor Orta. The move then fell through, despite it being just minutes from being officially confirmed.
That summer Manchester United then came calling, and while Leeds were back in for the Welsh winger, James opted for a dream move to Old Trafford.
Two years later, and James is set to finally be announced as a Leeds player, but this time for £30m; far more than the Elland Road side had agreed in 2019, and double what Man Utd paid that summer.
So, how have Man Utd managed to double James' price in two years?
Leeds really want him
Ultimately, Man Utd have been able to sell James for such a good fee because Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa really want him. He fits the mould of a Bielsa winger, while he is capable of playing on either flank.
His pace, which is genuinely electric, gives Leeds an extra option when it comes to attacking phases of play, because while Jack Harrison is an excellent player, he doesn't offer the same threat in behind as James.
Harrison can also operate centrally, and may well be utilised there more frequently, which gives Bielsa more tactical flexibility in a position the club are fairly light in.
The club identified James as a target years back, and with the opportunity to sign him this summer, it was too good to turn down.
Furthemore, star player Raphinha could well be on his way out of the club in the next 12 months, and signing James is preparing for that inevitability one year early.
Man Utd are extremely lucky
In all honesty, Man Utd are pretty lucky to have been offered such a large fee for their winger.
Of course, James is a good enough player, but he gets by with his speed and work-rate. Other than that, he doesn't offer too much. His form for Wales is certainly better, but for Man Utd, he's netted just six Premier League goals in nearly 50 games, 37 of which have been starts.
That's certainly not a great record, especially for someone demanding such a large fee. In fact, Man Utd have managed to sign Cristiano Ronaldo and sell James, and record a profit for those two transactions, which is incredible. Of course, Ronaldo is now 36, but it's Cristiano Ronaldo after all.
While mostly a squad player, especially over the past 12 months with the emergence of Mason Greenwood, James has played regularly for Man Utd, but his final ball and decision-making is often questionable, and it's something Bielsa will need to work on.
A threat simply because of his pace, James could be coached into something special, but right now, his talent is simply not worth £30m, and Man Utd have performed exceptionally in these negotiations to receive such a fee.
With Jadon Sancho and the aforementioned Ronaldo joining, James is simply surplus to requirements at Man Utd, so for the club to attract such a sum is quite surprising.
He started his career at Old Trafford extremely well, but he's gone off the boil massively. He certainly is a better player off the left flank, a position he's rarely ever played for Man Utd, but even so, a £30m player should be playing better. Of course, only time will tell how well he performs at Leeds, but he needs to step up, or it'll be seen as a waste of money.
