Manchester United are set to sign Swansea winger Daniel James, after turning to the Wales international as an alternative to Jadon Sancho who has held on as a result of United failed to qualify for UEFA League.
The England starlet, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s No.1 summer target, is not keen on a £100million switch with no Champions League football on offer at Old Trafford next season.
Now Solskjaer has turned his attention to James, after the 21-year-old starred for Graham Potter’s side in the Championship.
United have muscled in ahead of Everton, Newcastle and Leeds to table the £15million offer for James.
Swansea is believed to be happy with the offer for James, whose Swans deal ends in June 2020, and the player is also keen on United’s interest.
United have moved for James because of his sparkling first full season with Swansea in the Championship, with the winger also forcing his way into the senior Wales squad – notching the winner against Slovakia in March.
That has seen him tipped for a big future by boss Ryan Giggs.
“He’s a talent,” said Giggs in March. “When you’ve got that raw pace, you’re a threat at any level so as a winger, obviously for me playing as a winger, when I was younger, you then have to develop the other parts of your game which I feel he is doing.
“He’s played up front as well which will help him because that gives you an appreciation of what you need to do.”
James’ form for the Swansea in the second half of the season, including a number of impressive displays during their run to the FA Cup quarter-final, saw scouts flock to the Liberty Stadium.
It came after James had looked set to join Leeds United in January in a structured £10million deal.
The Yorkshire-born James spent the day at Elland Road and had agreed on personal terms and passed a medical before then-Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins pulled the plug at the last minute.
Jenkins was unhappy with the terms of the deal which would have seen James join Leeds on loan before buying him this summer.
Swansea’s American owners were furious with Jenkins because they wanted to raise as much as cash as possible in January and he resigned 24 hours later.
James’ agent was furious at the collapse, declaring “Swansea made no attempt to keep the player and at the first sign of money they couldn’t show him the door quickly enough”.
Swansea vainly tried to persuade him to sign a new deal at the Liberty Stadium, but it was obvious he would leave this summer because of the growing interest in him.
But James has shown little inclination to discuss terms over a new deal with the south Wales club, especially amid growing Premier League interest.
United’s £15million offer dwarves what Leeds were prepared to pay and will give Swansea’s finances a welcome boost.