Over the past ten years, Manchester United has brought in a large number of players, and although some of them have clearly succeeded, others appear to have failed miserably.

Jadon Sancho, a winger who joined from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 for a reported sum of over £73 million, is a recent example of this.

Though the Englishman was involved in eight goals in the 2021–2022 season and ten more in the following term, he was scarcely a key member of the Red Devils’ side during his first couple of seasons.

These problems ultimately led to his downfall in the first part of 2023–2024. In January, the wide player was removed from Erik ten Hag’s team and sent back to Dortmund on loan until the conclusion of the season, during which time he has only managed to help his teammates twice in just seven games.

Daniel James is another of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s acquisitions that fits into the same category as Sancho. The attacker, who previously played for Swansea City, signed a contract worth up to £18 million following add-ons in 2019 and left the team after just two years.

Dan James United Manchester
The Welshman had his moments at the club despite his uneven results at Old Trafford, and given his abilities, he was the kind of player who would have flourished in tomorrow’s much-anticipated Manchester derby.

Dan James’s stats at Manchester United

Even though James was only in Manchester for a few years before moving to Leeds for a reported £25 million, he wasn’t a total bust, appearing in 74 games and providing 18 goals and assists.

This record is still strong when compared to current disaster Antony, who joined the team on a whopping £86 million contract and has only managed to provide 13 goals and 13 assists in 71 appearances across all competitions.

Ten Hag could be wishing he had someone like James to turn to instead of the struggling Antony with the trip to the Etihad approaching; the Leeds player has the kind of enthusiastic work ethic that makes him a valuable asset in a special occasion like the derby.

Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho
The South American journalist Leo Escudeiro drew a parallel between James and Park Ji-Sung, citing James’s “technically limited, mega-fast, and very dedicated” attributes as more evidence of their resemblance.

Naturally, Park wasn’t the most well-known player, but his dedication to the game and ability to shine when it mattered most helped him to become a cult hero at United. Former teammate Wayne Rooney said that Park was “almost as important to our success” as players like Cristiano Ronaldo and “Wazza.”

United Varane Premier League Solskjaer Man
James might have a comparable contribution soon; Solskjaer once remarked of James’ abilities, “Dan with the energy he has, the X-factor and the pace, he gives us something that must be hard to play against if you are a defender.”

This calibre of appreciation from the treble winner highlights how well the Wales international performed while playing for the team and suggests that he may have added more to the Red Devils’ game against the defending Premier League winners on Sunday.

Dan James’s history versus Manchester City

As previously established, United will strive to defeat their imposing arch-rivals Manchester City when they play them tomorrow afternoon.

After winning four of their past five Premier League games, the team is currently outside the top four, despite suffering a humiliating loss to Fulham at home a week ago.

Gary, Neville, David, and Beckham: A Flashback

Football The Blast from the Past series on FanCast travels back in time. Which of your vintage icons would you include in the starting XI of today? 

Ten Hag might have to choose a front line that includes Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, and the previously mentioned Antony because Rasmus Hojlund is now out with an injury. However, there may be a belief that a player with James’ calibre would have been significantly more beneficial.

After United defeated the Cityzens 2-1 away from home in December 2019, James’s devastating ability to injure the team was evident. In fact, United icon Peter Schmeichel called James’ performance “unbelievable.”

The fast winger was essential to the hosts’ counterattack strategy, as Gary Neville said in commentary at the time. Journalist Samuel Luckhurst gave the player an 8/10 match rating for Manchester Evening News, writing that “City could not keep up with his blistering pace.”

Though James has only appeared in ten games versus City in his career and has only assisted on one goal (which came in the 2-1 victory in 2019), he gave Solskjaer’s team a genuine outlet that Ten Hag is now lacking.

There is no doubt that the majority of United fans would want to see James line up ahead of the unfortunate Antony on the right flank.