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Football

20th Sep 2020

Manchester United winger Daniel James linked with move to Premier League rival

Alex Roberts

The Welshman could be available for a cut price

Manchester United winger Daniel James is reportedly a target for Leeds United.

The Elland Road club believe they can land James for as little as £12 million, according to reports. The Welsh international only joined United in the summer of 2019 from Swansea City in a deal worth over £20 million.

Daniel James was subbed off at half-time in Manchester United’s defeat to Crystal Palace. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

James enjoyed a scintillating start to his Manchester United career, netting against Chelsea and Southampton in his first few games.

He has since struggled to recapture the same form for Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side, although it could be argued United have been overly reliant on a player without a massive number of games under his belt.

When football resumed after lockdown, James was unused substitute for United’s final three games as they secured Champions League football. In their latest game, James was hauled off at half-time as United suffered an embarrassing 3-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.

Before arriving at Old Trafford, James had only played one full season of league football for Swansea in the Championship. At Swansea, James was used sparingly due to his age and to avoid burnout.

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If these reports are to be believed, it won’t be the first time Leeds have shown an interest in Daniel James.

James was extremely close to signing for Marcelo Bielsa’s side while with Swansea in January 2019. The Welshman was subject of a £10 million bid, was spotted arriving at Elland Road and even underwent a medical with the Yorkshire club.

The deal was scrapped at the last minute however, when then-Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins pulled the plug on the deal – much to the frustration of the Leeds hierarchy.

James was born in Hull, but qualifies for Wales through his late Aberdare-born father. After impressing in the Hull City academy, he joined Swansea’s youth team in 2014. He netted four times for Swansea in the 2018-19 season, before joining United.