Daniel James’ real transfer value has changed radically as Leeds United future up in air

The future of Wales winger Daniel James appears up in the air and this summer is likely to be pivotal for him.

As the season enters the business end, his parent club, Leeds United, are in jeopardy.

They are currently in 17th place, one position above the dropzone and are ahead of 18th-placed Nottingham Forest only on goal difference.

Their manager, Sam Allardyce, has been given a short-term contract to rescue the club from the clutches of the Championship.

James, meanwhile, has spent the season on the banks of the Thames.

His loan move to Fulham hasn’t gone entirely to plan, getting by with substitute appearances in the main, but his form has opened the door to a permanent move to west London, should a deal be agreed.

Leeds don’t yet know who their manager will be – or indeed what division they’ll be in next season – so any decision over James’ future is still up in the air.

Should the Whites be relegated, reports indicate they would be “happy” to part company with James, who still has three years left to run on his contract.

The experts at CIES Football Observatory estimate his value somewhere in the region of €15million (£13million).

They 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.

In May of 2021, they estimated his value as somewhere in the region of €50-70million (£43-60million), a quite radical change in valuation.

James had moved to Leeds from Manchester United in the August of the same year in a deal worth £25million.