Leeds tried to sign Dan James on deadline day. As transfers go, you don’t get much closer than Dan James’ failed move to Leeds. He had a medical with Leeds on deadline day, and was prepped for his transfer to be announced, before Swansea pulled the plug at the last minute, The Telegraph reported. Last night the winger returned to Leeds, this time with Swansea for a Championship match. It was just as miserable for the winger, who was substituted with Swansea two goals down midway through the second half. STEVE BRUCE MUST GO Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan told BBC Radio Leeds’ post-game coverage he was not particularly impressed with the winger, but also recognised it was a bit unfair to judge him on one display where his entire team were second best. Whelan said: “I think he’d be better in a better side. He didn’t get much of a chance this evening. “He’s probably still disappointed from the fact a move never occurred. “You can see the lad’s got a lot of potential, and his pace. It’s very difficult to make a judgement on the player based on tonight.” This was James’ second game since his move to Leeds fell through. The young winger is in his first season as a regular in the Swansea first team and it has been a rollercoaster ride for him. He has 14 games before the end of the season before more inevitable transfer talk resumes. In other news, Report: Six-time title-winning manager in Real Madrid talks after Tottenham snub<doc-sep>Leeds United were left furious after Marcelo Bielsa’s £10m bid to sign Swansea winger Daniel James collapsed in the final minutes of deadline day. Andrea Radrizzani, the Leeds owner, had agreed a £1.5m loan fee with Swansea, with the obligation to sign the Wales international permanently for a further £7m if the club earn promotion to the Premier League. Further instalments would have taken the deal up to £10m. James had passed a medical in Leeds earlier that day but the transfer fell through after Swansea’s board made a late U-turn, insisting they were unhappy with the payment terms barely an hour before the 11pm deadline. It is alleged there was a conflict between chairman Huw Jenkins and the club’s American owners, Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, over the sale of the winger. Swansea were already under scrutiny for the departures of a number of key players since relegation, with Jefferson Montero (West Brom) and Tom Carroll (Aston Villa) also leaving on deadline day.<doc-sep>One of the most intriguing transfer sagas of the January window shows no sign of letting up, with Daniel James still a name many Leeds fans will believe they’ll see on the back of a home shirt sometime soon. James’ move to Elland Road collapsed at the eleventh hour on January 31st, leaving him to go back to Swansea with his tail between his legs. When the Swans travelled to Leeds for a recent game, James was poor on the flank. Speculation is rife that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are keen on going back in for him in the summer, but it’s also recently been revealed that Swansea are keen to give him a new deal. The saga continues, but at the centre of it all is a 21-year-old boy with a big decision to make. He’s shown the right attitude in going back to Swansea and focusing on football and throughout the transfer window he acted responsibly, never demanding a move or playing up in any way. It’s a testament to his character, but that character is set to be tested in the coming weeks. If he refuses to sign a new deal he’ll have been backed into a corner. It will signal an intention to leave Swansea without him saying as much. It won’t quite be Josh Maja at Sunderland serious, but it would send a message, whether inadvertent or not. However, if he keeps the Swans happy and signs a new deal, he could scupper a move to Leeds. It’s a lose / lose situation for the young winger. Or is it a situation in which he can’t lose? The transfer fee would likely be the same whether he signs or not, unless there’s a huge release clause inserted. If he does pen a new deal then he affirms his allegiance to Swansea, but when Leeds launch a summer bid he can still move with his head held high. It’s a tough situation for the young man to be in. He must be lamenting the deal collapsing, wondering how best to play it now. He’s got his immediate future to consider, as well as his long term goals. It’s a huge weight on the shoulders of a young man, but a responsibility brought on by good performances.<doc-sep>Swansea City fended off interest in Daniel James from Leeds United in January. Swansea City boss Graham Potter has told Dai Sport that he thinks Leeds United’s attempts to sign Daniel James ultimately weren’t worth enough money. The Swans advanced into the last eight of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon, hammering Brentford at the Liberty Stadium – and James grabbed the headlines. James picked up the ball inside his own half from a Brentford free kick and blazed past the Bees defence, before finishing off his solo run with a fine finish. STEVE BRUCE MUST GO The 21-year-old continues to shine under Potter, and he is putting rumours of a January move to Leeds behind him in order to star for the Swans. As noted by the Yorkshire Evening Post, James was at Elland Road on deadline day to join Leeds on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move worth more than £5million if the Whites won promotion to the Premier League. Swansea failed to sign off on the deal though, meaning James had to return to South Wales at least until the end of the season, when Leeds could well return with a new bid. Now though, Potter has suggested that James’ display against Brentford summed up why Leeds weren’t paying enough for James in the first place, praising him as ‘sensational’. With James out of contract in 2020, Potter added that he wants to see the winger sign a new deal, but it’s not that simple, as James needs to agree too – and with Leeds lurking, that would be in doubt. “You forget that these things happen in transfer windows where clubs don’t agree a price,” said Potter. “You can see why on that performance, the numbers are too low, that’s the reality in my opinion. He’s got lots to work on but he had an end product today and I thought he was sensational. Once that happens he just gets on with being a footballer, he’s been incredible for us and we’re looking forward to working with him for the future. He was ok today, wasn’t he? The ability to sprint repeatedly, it’s as high a level as you’re going to see.” “The answer is yes, but it’s not as simple as that. All parties have to agree. It’s a process, you have to make sure everybody’s happy. In the meantime, my responsibility as a head coach is to help him play football, to carry on with his career and to reach his potential because he’s still got a lot to do. But as you see today, he’s not playing against bad players, they’re not physically weak defenders, but he leaves them for dust,” he added. This content could not be loaded | James runs the length of the pitch to give @SwansOfficial the lead! pic.twitter.com/dKxEtwgxok — The Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 17, 2019 In other news, Joe Rodon finds just one word to describe Gareth Bale at Tottenham Hotspur<doc-sep>
Leeds target Daniel James will resist Swansea’s fresh attempts to persuade him to sign a new contract and pledge his future to the Liberty Stadium. Swansea boss Graham Potter claimed the South Wales club wanted James to agree new terms in the wake of his starring role in their FA Cup win over Brentford on Sunday. James showed just why Marcelo Bielsa wants him - and why Swansea want to hang on to him - by running from his own box to score the Swans’ crucial second goal. James, 21, has fewer than 18 months left on his Swansea contract and Potter would love him to sign a new deal and be part of the future he is trying to create at the Liberty Stadium. But James is in no rush to decide his future. (Image: Getty Images) The Wales winger was gutted when his deadline day move to Leeds fell through at the eleventh hour after he had passed a medical and agreed terms. James, who is a product of Hull City’s academy, was keen to return to his native Yorkshire and is aware that Leeds have said they will return for him in the summer. Leeds could well be a Premier League club by then and James’ goal is to be a regular starter in the top flight. This will make it hard for Swansea to hang on to him, let alone persuade him to agree a new contract. The club’s American owners were prepared to let James join Leeds on loan with a view to a permanent move in the summer, only for Huw Jenkins, in his last act as chairman, to block the deal. Jenkins was unhappy that Swansea would only have received £800,000 up front for James. (Image: Getty Images) Potter claims that offer was way too low after watching him shine against Brentford. “You forget that these things happen in transfer windows where clubs don’t agree a price,” he said. “You can see why on that performance, the numbers are too low. That’s the reality in my opinion. “Once that happens, he just gets on with being a footballer. He’s been incredible for us and we’re looking forward to working with him for the future.”