Dan James spoke of Leeds United as if they were a past memory than if there was a possible future at Elland Road when discussing his loan move to Fulham this week – but does he have a future at Leeds under Jesse Marsch?
James, 25, landed in Qatar earlier this week along with his Wales squad. He is set to take on USA on Monday, then Iran and then of course, against England – the country in which James was born. After a year at Leeds, he left for Fulham.
A surprising move. He has played 40 times following his deadline transfer from Manchester United to Leeds in 2021. He has scored five goals and laid on four assists, failing to prove his hefty £25million fee. He remains a Leeds player.
Obviously, he chose to go on loan to Fulham to maximise his game time ahead of the World Cup. He was quoted by Wales Online when discussing his move to Fulham – in which he has only started three times in eight appearances.
“I was there for a season (at Leeds) and really enjoyed it. I loved the place and my family loved it there. It was tough (to leave), it was deadline day and it was last minute. I was thinking about the World Cup,” James said, as per Wales Online.
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James certainly suggests that Leeds is a thing of the past, for him. “I was there”, and “loved the place” hints that he is thinking of Leeds as a memory, rather than an a constant. But, he is only on a dry loan with the Cottagers right now.
No permanent clause. He has a contract at Leeds, worth £52,000 a week, until June 2026. So, plenty of time to still make it work at Leeds. But the fundamental issue for James, is that the Whites paid £25million to sign him in 2021.
Leeds are not going to want to lose money on him – or too much, as is the way. But right now, there is no chance a club pays £25m – or anything close to that for him. His start at Fulham has below par, just three starts and one goal.
While James may see his permanent future away from Leeds, his contract and hefty transfer fee may mean Leeds will be forced to keep him – and continue to try and get the best out of him. That, or he goes on loan again.
