OPINION
Daniel James had to endure a tough night at Elland Road on Wednesday as Leeds, the team that he should have been playing for, beat his current team Swansea, 2-1.
His summer transfer between the two clubs fell apart dramatically at the last minute in January, after the Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins refused to sign the paperwork, and the player had to head back to Wales despite completing his medical and filming his announcement video at Elland Road .
But, it looks like his dream move is back on after Leeds chief executive Angus Kinnear confirmed that Leeds were still actively pursuing him and want him for what will hopefully be their Premier League side next season.
Talking on BBC Radio Leeds on Wednesday night (West Yorkshire Sport Daily, 6pm), Kinnear responded definitively when asked if they would try to sign James in the summer.
“Absolutely. He [Victor Orta] will definitely maintain an interest. He [James] has gone back and returned to Swansea but he was very excited about joining Leeds. When you’ve spent that amount of time identifying the right player it’s not something you give up on easily.”
That’s fantastic news for Leeds fans, who were looking forward to seeing James help them win promotion to the top-flight this season.
The internal politics that scuppered the deal should have been resolved. Huw Jenkins, the chairman who refused to ratify the deal, resigned 48 hours after the farce unfolded. The US owners were happy to sell James.
Leeds must now ensure that they’ve got everything lined up to complete a deal for the Wales international as soon as the summer window opens.
There’s no real excuse not to have all their ducks in a row by the time the window opens. James cut a pretty desolate figure on the wing for Swansea and it’s hard to see him agreeing a new deal there after his agent unleashed a furious broadside after the January deal fell through.
The two clubs have got a good few months to modify any agreement that was in place – that reportedly included a promotion clause. If Leeds do get promoted then they can just buy on those terms hopefully. If they don’t get promoted, the deal might be off anyway.
With Leeds back on top of the table, this is is hugely exciting news that should have Leeds fans roaring.