Daniel James has been very impressive for Swansea City in the Championship this season. The 21 year old Welsh international has made 38 appearances for the club and scored 5 goals and assisted 10 more through the course of the season. He has been involved in 20% of the goals Swansea have scored this season. His performances have caught the eye of others and Leeds United almost signed him in January. However, the transfer fell through in the dying moments as Swansea blocked the move.
That was just the beginning of a wide number of possible clubs for him to play for next season. According to Jim White of Talksport, 5 of the top 6 clubs in the Premier League other than Manchester City have shown interest in the player, with Ryan Giggs recommending Manchester United to sign him. Interest at Old Trafford has apparently become concrete as they have reportedly bid £15m to sign the winger.
According to media reports, both Swansea and the players are happy with the tabled offer. James is a Liverpool fan and could be waiting for interest arising from Merseyside. James is still keen to join Leeds but the Championship club have been totally outbid by Manchester United, making it difficult for the move to go through. Leeds had tabled a £7m plus add-ons offer in January which would have come into effect if Leeds had secured promotion to the top flight, but the deal was not adequate for the Swansea management and it did not go through. Everton and Newcastle United are also trying to lure the youngster by promising him regular first team football in the top flight which could be a huge temptation for the youngster in choosing his new club.
James has been a key part of Graham Potters’ side which got relegated from the Premier League last season and has been a key factor in their 10th finish in the Championship this season. Solskjaer recently said United will no longer necessarily be looking for “ready-made stars,” and this is where Daniel James fits in perfectly. He has now told MUTV’s Helen Evans what kind of player he will be seeking out: “We have touched upon it [before]. We have tried to educate our players and our kids to be the proper people. In my years, the best players have always been the best people. You have to have that value system—do you say that? A certain kind of attitude about you to make a Manchester United player.
Daniel James attempts 6.81 dribbles per 90 minutes with a success rate of 74.4%. Comparison:
5.83 (60.2%) – Rashford
5.57 (63.2%) – Martial
5.10 (73.6%) – Pogba
2.47 (55.7%) – LingardAlso, he advances the ball more than 10 yards per dribble more than any United player. pic.twitter.com/ynCBXu3BEP
— UtdArena (@UtdArena) May 10, 2019
“You have got to have quality and our fans want to see exciting players. We want to get up from our seats. You see defenders who defend, like that is their life, that is the most important thing. When we go to the press with Jesse [Lingard] and Marcus [Rashford], in games against Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Chelsea, when we start these games, our fans clap a striker making a tackle. That is the way it has been and in our culture. You have to have that work ethic and we are scouting the market to try to find the right ones.”
