Manchester United winger Daniel James was close to completing a move to Leeds in 2019 but the move was scuppered due to failures to meet the deadline that January. James, who was at Swansea at the time, even traveled to Leeds to sign his contract but was told at their offices that a deal had fallen through.
The now infamous transfer story is well documented and can even be found on YouTube. Instead, James stayed at Swansea for the remainder of that season and ended up signing for Manchester United six months later.
Marcelo Bielsa is said to be a huge admirer of the 23-year-old and could be looking to swoop in for the Wales international again this summer.
“Bielsa is forever interested in Dan James,” Leeds journalist Phil Hay said on The Phil Hay Podcast. “You probably remember last summer that before they did the deal for Raphinha, they were looking into the possibility of bringing Dan James in on loan from Manchester United.
“I don’t think it was ever really a possibility because it didn’t seem as though Solskjaer wanted him to go. I get the feeling that Bielsa will consistently be interested in Dan James though. He was very big on him when Leeds nearly got him from Swansea.”
With the arrival of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund set to be announced imminently, James’ opportunities at the club could be scarce in his third season.
Marcus Rashford’s injury could, however, open up an avenue for James to impress once again and possibly cement a place in Solskjaer’s plans, although a starting berth is unlikely.
Read more: Man Utd expected to make second bid for La Liga star defender
