Leeds United are enduring a tough season, in which Javi Garcia has been handed the unenviable task of rescuing a team that was in freefall under Jesse Marsch.
The Spaniard was only gifted the job following the conclusion of the January transfer window, so inherits a squad largely made up of players purchased by the previous two managers.
It seems that a lack of urgency to correct the big issues in the squad was the downfall of both Marcelo Bielsa and Marsch, with the former refusing to bolster his thin squad and the latter wasting huge amounts of money on several players who are yet to make an impact.
Despite this contrast, one huge let-down that springs to mind of the Argentine’s tenure is Daniel James, who was signed from rivals Manchester United back in the summer of 2021.
The Welsh speedster was expected to supplement an already free-flowing Whites front line, however, it quickly became apparent that he lacked the quality and cutting edge to be relied upon at the lower end of the table.
It resulted in a gruesome relegation battle, in which survival was only earned on the final day of the season.
How much has Dan James cost Leeds in total?
His acquisition was not cheap, as the Whites were forced to stump up £25m to tempt James from Old Trafford.
It was not the first time a player had made the switch between these two bitter rivals, but it certainly left the Manchester club delighted having only signed the winger two years earlier for £15m.
Having been handed a mouth-watering £50k-per-week wage, with hindsight it was a foolish move to reward a player who had done little to warrant such a huge expenditure.
The 25-year-old would then make just 40 appearances for the club, scoring four and assisting just five before being forced out on loan to Fulham. He is poised to return at this season’s conclusion; something which Gracia will hardly be eagerly awaiting.
When factoring in his wage for his sole year in Yorkshire alongside his transfer fee, in total he has already cost the club £27.6m. What makes it worse is that this is a figure that is only set to increase.
Bielsa did many great things for the club, but convincing Andrea Radrizzani to make this move was not one of them.
Journalist Tom Dutton put it best when he wrote on Twitter: “Dan James is a pace merchant with poor final ball and awful decision making. Not sure how he ever got a move to United.”
That burning question still remains, as his move to Leeds seems equally perplexing given its failure thus far.
