According to the reports from The Sun as cited by Leeds Live, Championship table-toppers Leeds United are interested in a move for Swansea City winger Daniel James. The reports also add that James can cost up to £2.5m this month and it would be interesting to see how keen the Whites are to secure his signature.
The 21-year-old is already a Wales international and is seen as a big talent for the Swans. However, he is in the final six months of his contract at the Liberty City stadium, and we believe Leeds would have a decent chance of landing him given his contract situation.
James is predominantly a left winger but he can play on the opposite flank as well and even as a no. 10 if required. Therefore Bielsa would be glad that James is versatile as the Argentine manager has often shown the tendency to use players in various positions this season.
Bielsa himself admitted that he needs a winger ever since Pablo Hernandez was shifted to play in the central areas after the departure of Samuel Saiz. Therefore there is a chance that the Whites can look to do business for a winger in the next few days.
Even with significant injury issues and a lack of depth in the squad, United have continued to set the pace at the top of the table. James can be lured into coming to Elland Road given the fact that the Whites stand an excellent chance of moving to the English top flight by next season. The young winger might be tempted knowing that he can play Premier League football after just six months (fingers crossed).
However, the 21-year-old is not a finished article yet as he is a work in progress. So far the winger has played 16 games in the Championship, scoring one and assisting four. However, Bielsa has shown his panache of working with youngsters, and he seems happy to work with players who are keen to give their all on the pitch and surrender themselves entirely to his style. So James can turn out to be a decent signing if he wants to work hard at the West Yorkshire club.
James, in fact, is Yorkshire born but started his footballing career with Hull City. He has been with the Swans since 2014 and has slowly become a regular part of the first team. A signing like this might not exactly excite the Whites fans as he is yet not proven, but he would add depth and options to the squad. With Bielsa at the helm, he can nurture the youngster into a promising player.
