Swansea City winger Daniel James is undergoing a medical at Manchester United today ahead of a £15m transfer to Old Trafford.
But many United fans worldwide who don’t keep close tabs on the Championship might be wondering: ‘Who is Daniel James?’
Who is Daniel James?
Wales interntional James is a 21-year-old left winger. He was born in Beverley, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and started his youth career at Hull City, playing for the Tigers’ junior teams between 2006 and 2014.
At that stage, he moved to Swansea for an initial fee of £72,000. He joined the Swans’ under-18 academy side. In the 2016/17 season, James was a key part of the Swansea Under-23 side that won promotion to the Professional U23 Development League Division 1, with an 11-point winning margin.
James was named in a first-team squad for the first time in January 2016, with the Swans facing Oxford United in an FA Cup tie. He did not make an appearance, but signed a new three-year contract the following week.
He was an unused substitute for a Premier League game against Stoke City later that season.
James joined Shrewsbury Town on a season-long loan in June 2017. But he left the League One side by mutual consent at the end of August having failed to break into the starting lineup.
Why are Man Utd signing Daniel James?
James caught the eye with a breakthrough season in the Championship last term. Prior to the start of the 2018/19 season, he had only made one FA Cup appearance for the Swans.
But he established himself as a first-team regular last season, making 39 appearances and scoring six goals in all competitions.
His efforts seemingly caught the eye of United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has been linked with an attempt to sign James for a few weeks now.
What is Daniel James’ style of play?
James is a wide player with pace to burn. He usually operates on the left wing despite being right-footed.
Speed is not his only attribute. He also has plenty of tricks up his sleeve and often makes jinking runs, cutting in from the flank and into the penalty area.
Who is Daniel James like?
Given that he is a pacy winger, often seen breezing past opponents on the left flank before cutting into the danger zone, the obvious comparison is with his national team colleague Gareth Bale.
But James himself has identified another comparison. He claims he has modelled his game on a Manchester-based player, albeit one from United’s local rivals Manchester City. Raheem Sterling is the player who he sees himself as being like, or at least the sort of player he wants to be like eventually.
In an interview with the Telegraph, James said: “The way he plays is the way I want to be. He’s learned a lot since he went from Liverpool to Man City – the way he has added goals and assists. I think Pep (Guardiola) has been a massive influence.
“He’s a very, very quick player and just uses his pace in different ways, he’s brilliant at getting in behind and that’s something I want to be better at. I want to learn every day. I am always hungry for more. A lot of people say I’ve come a long way but it doesn’t matter whether it’s been six months or two years – I always want to be better.”
In the same interview, he laughed off comparisons with Paris Saint-Germain and France star Kylian Mbappe, which he described as “crazy”. He says the World Cup winner is quicker than him.
Could Daniel James play for England?
He was born in England and qualified to play for England, but he was also eligible to play for Wales because his father Kevin is Welsh and from Aberdare.
However, he has opted to play for Wales at every level from under-17 upwards. He won his first senior cap as a substitute against Albania in November 2018. James won his second cap and scored the only goal of the game in the Euro 2020 qualifier against Slovakia in March 2019.
With the Slovakia game having been a competitive match, he is now tied to Wales and can no longer represent England.
That will not deter United, who have had some success with Welsh left wingers in the past.
Have I seen Daniel James in action?
If you don’t follow English football’s second-tier closely, you are most likely to know James from his stunning solo goal in last season’s FA Cup win over Brentford.
The youngster demonstrated his speed as he broke from his own half, drove into the final-third and applied a cool finish.
You can see that goal in the video below.
Have United had any competition in the race to sign Daniel James?
Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur – another club that have previously had success with left-sided Welsh wingers – have previously been credited with interest in James. But in recent weeks it has become clear that United were the frontrunners to sign him.
James came close to joining Leeds United in the previous transfer window. Marcelo Bielsa’s side, who looked on course to win promotion to the Premier League last season, were keen to pay £1.5m to take James on loan for the remainder of the 2018/19 campaign with an option to buy him this summer. The ultimate amount payable would have totalled around £10m.
The Swans were initially happy with that arrangement, but got cold feet and pulled out of the deal.
That is now looking like a very wise move, with United reportedly about to pay £15m up front for the youngster plus a further £3m in add-ons.
Is Daniel James good enough for Man Utd?
That remains to be seen. The Red Devils have plucked established players from the second-tier before, and in general it has not gone well. The £11m signing of Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace in 2013, and the £6.75m capture of Nick Powell from Crewe Alexandra in 2012 are the most recent examples.
Sir Alex Ferguson deemed both players to be future United players. For various reasons, neither quite cut the grade at Old Trafford and have had to pursue their careers elsewhere.
Solskjaer will be hoping James can succeed where Zaha and Powell failed.
