Even before the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, which we’ll see confirmed in the next day or so, the Manchester United forward group was loaded. Especially so on the wings, where there is excessive depth chart congestion.
Moves were going to have to be made between now and the 11th hour of deadline day. Dan James will soon become the first surplus player at this position to be sold off. According to leading transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the young Englishman, acquired from Swansea a couple summers ago, will be sent to local rival Leeds United.
Daniel James is set to join Leeds United from Manchester United, deal confirmed and here-we-go soon! Final stages and it’s gonna be completed. ?? #MUFC
James will join Leeds as exclusively reported today morning. ?? https://t.co/5yDeUuXvJX
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 30, 2021
It appears this situation has escalated rather quickly (just as Ronaldo did). The Guardian quotes a specific figure, one that would see United make a profit off the 23-year-old.
“Having paid around £15m to sign him from Swansea in 2019 after a proposed loan move to join Leeds had collapsed in the January transfer window, United are likely to demand a fee of around £20m for James, who has another three years left on his contract,” the publication reports.
The article goes on to say that Diogo Dalot will be staying put however. With Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Edinson Cavani and now Mason Greenwood stating his case, in the first XI attack, where and when was Dan James going to play?
The same can be said for Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial too, so you have to wonder what Old Trafford is going to do in these final stages of the window about them.
At this point, even Marcus Rashford might struggle to get in the team once he fully recovers from back surgery.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.