Leeds United reportedly failed to sign Daniel James on transfer deadline day.
In comments reported by Leeds Live, Marcelo Bielsa suggested that he was not disappointed not to sign Daniel James on transfer deadline day, insisting that Leeds can bounce back from not landing the Swansea ace.
The Whites’ deadline day was dominated with talk surrounding whether the Championship high-flyers would be able to get a deal for the winger across the line. And for much of the day, it appeared to be a formality.
The Whites would be forgiven for feeling incredibly angry if the Swans did indeed ensure that there was no chance of getting a move across the line. But Bielsa was adamant that not signing James does not need to be a major setback for Leeds.
“No, not disappointed. He was coming to the team to be a possibility of the side. As I’ve said many times, with Alioski, Clarke, Harrison, all the players who play on the sides we can find the right solution,” he said, as reported by Leeds Live, when asked about missing out on James.
“I can’t deny the fact he would have been another option for our offensive play but I don’t see this as an obstacle for us.”
Bielsa may be content with not having James in his ranks, but the fans would be forgiven for wondering what could have been on Saturday had he been available for the home clash with Norwich City.
Three defensive mistakes saw the Canaries pick up a 3-1 win. But Leeds had enough of possession to go on and threaten a turnaround before conceding a third goal, and they were crying out for inspiration.
Having James to bring off the bench may not have changed much. But he was the kind of wildcard that Leeds desperately needed as they struggled to turn possession into moments of genuine quality.
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