Man Utd are hoping to retain winger Dan James despite the arrival of Jadon Sancho at Old Trafford, according to reports.
Sancho was finally announced as a Man Utd player on Friday after passing a medical.
The Red Devils have paid £73million for his services and he will now fill their void at right wing.
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Sancho will inevitably push James down the pecking order but Man Utd want to keep the Welshman on their books.
That’s according to The Sun, who claim that club chiefs will reject approaches from Brighton and Leeds for the 23-year-old.
Brighton boss Graham Potter is a big fan of James after the pair worked together at Swansea City.
Earlier this month, reports emerged stating that Potter was keen to reunite with the pacy player, alongside his Wales team-mate Joe Rodon.
Leeds are the other Premier League side to have signalled their interest in James.
They were leading the race for his signature back in June 2019 but were beaten to the transfer by United.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side have kept tabs on him ever since and have been linked with a loan move.
However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will try to convince United officials to keep James in Manchester.
The player could become vital in the 2021/22 campaign if Marcus Rashford is kept out through injury.
The England forward is currently deciding whether to have surgery on a shoulder problem which has persisted for months.
If it goes ahead then James will likely become Sancho’s key backup next season.
The report even claims that he could be offered a new deal to certify his long-term future.
James’ current deal expires in June 2024 and is worth around £45,000 a week.
He made 26 appearances in all competitions last term, scoring five goals.
The winger spent a lot of time on the bench at the start of the season, but revealed in April that a chat with Solskjaer improved his situation.
James said: “Sometimes it’s hard to go to the gaffer. I speak to him every day but going to see him one-to-one, being confident and saying I’m ready to play means you have to go out of your comfort zone.
“Coming out of that meeting, I think he loved I did that. He played me, I came on and scored [against Istanbul Basaksehir].”
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