Dan James has a history of transfer deadline day drama and that was once again the case this summer when departing Leeds United for Fulham on a season-long loan deal. It brought an end to growing speculation over his future with a number of clubs interested in a player who Leeds finally got their hands on last summer, ending their own long pursuit of the Hull-born player.
James still has four years to run on a deal that cost Leeds £25m only a year ago. While neither the player nor the club have cut ties and ruled out a return to Elland Road at the end of the season, there is an expectation among many that James' tenure with the club is now over.
If that is to be the case Leeds will look to try and recoup as much as they can of the £25m they paid Manchester United last summer, but getting a repeat of that price tag may prove difficult as the latest CIES Football Observatory findings show. The experts at CIES Football Observatory use a complex matrix to work out transfer values, taking into account a number of variables such as contract duration, performance, age, career progression, international status, inflation and club level and wealth.
