Leeds United were famously close to sealing a deal for Daniel James in January 2019 and Phil Hay has spoken on his podcast about Marcelo Bielsa’s admiration for the winger.
This transfer window has seen Leeds linked with a move for the Manchester United winger in the Scottish Mail on Sunday (via Leeds Live), with the imminent signing of Jadon Sancho likely to reduce James’ minutes next season.
Will Bielsa stay at Leeds?
Yes!
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James endured a frustrating campaign on the pitch for Man United last season, especially in 2021 as he was handed just six starts in the Premier League following the turn of the year as Mason Greenwood hit form, netting six times during the latter months of the campaign.
Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, the Leeds journalist has revealed the admiration Bielsa holds for James.
“Bielsa is forever interested in Dan James, and you’ll probably remember last summer that before they did the deal for Raphinha, they were looking into the possibility of taking Dan James on loan from Manchester United.
“I don’t think it was ever really an option because it didn’t seem as if [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer wanted him to go.”
TIF thoughts on Bielsa being interested in James…
James shone during his time at Swansea City in the Championship, but since his move to a big club in Manchester United, he has largely struggled to nail down a regular starting spot, which is understandable given the calibre of players they have at their disposal.
A move, whether that be temporary or permanently, may benefit the Wales international as he could rediscover his confidence under a new manager with a lot of faith in him, which may be possible with Bielsa, based on Hay’s comments.
However, Leeds are already well-stocked with options on the wing, with Tyler Roberts, Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Rodrigo all capable of playing there – so James would not naturally be a starter, especially considering that of those mentioned, only Roberts achieved a lower WhoScored rating than James last season.