Daniel James of Swansea City has been red hot on the radar of Leeds United, and the Wales international has emerged as the no. 1 target for the Whites. United have been in negotiations with the Welsh outfit for quite some time, and David Anderson of Daily Mirror recently gave an update on his Twitter account.
His tweet read, ”Leeds still in talks with Swansea over a deal for Daniel James. Part of the sticking point is the composition of the deal and Leeds want a smaller down payment with a significant chunk in add-ons. Swansea want the cash and want more up front.”
”Leeds won’t be held to ransom over Daniel James and are prepared to walk away if Swansea will not compromise and agree terms. Although James is Bielsa’s No 1 target, he is in full agreement with Victor Orta and the club’s stance.” – he added further.
It’s clear that the Swans are playing hardball at the moment and doing business in January is often tough. The winger scored a goal last night and has firmly established himself into Graham Potter’s plans. With Swansea fighting for the playoff spot, one can understand why they are keen to hold on to him and are demanding a high price.
Reports earlier claimed that (The Sun) United had submitted a bid of £6m up front and £4m in add-ons and it is understandable why Swansea want the bulk of the money up front in cash now. Something will have to give in the next few hours, but it is clear that Bielsa isn’t willing to go overboard for James. The 21-year-old has still got 18 months left on his contract. Therefore, Swansea have all the more right to hold on to their ground.
The Whites are in desperate need of a winger and they have been rocked by injuries throughout the campaign. It is a testament to the quality of their football that they have continued to reign supreme on the top of the table. Bielsa had hand-picked (The Mirror) James from a list of possible wingers that the Whites could sign and we are definitely going to have an interesting last few hours in this transfer window.
With wingers like Ezgjan Alioski and Pablo Hernandez filling in at other positions and after the latest setback with Stuart Dallas’ injury, we can’t stress enough on how desperately the West Yorkshire outfit needs a winger. James should suit United’s playing style as he has terrific work rate and has the potential to be a quality player in the next few years.
