Dan James 2.0: Leeds express interest in signing “frightening” £50m talent
Leeds United’s recent upturn in form has meant they have put distance between themselves and the relegation zone. The Whites now find themselves on 16 points this term, three ahead of fellow strugglers West Ham United, who are 18th in the Premier League.
The impressive thing of late is the clinical nature they have shown in front of goal. In their last four games, Daniel Farke’s side have found the back of the net nine times, which is almost half of the total number of goals they’ve bagged all season, which stands at 20.
Leeds are seemingly set to push for more in the final third, too, and are linked with a new attacker in January.
Leeds ready to poach forgotten Premier League star
The West Yorkshire side already made a couple of significant additions to their attack in the summer.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin joined on a free transfer and has five goals this term, more than any other player, with Noah Okafor and Lukas Nmecha also signing for the club.
Now, according to a report from MOT Leeds News, the Whites ‘have expressed an interest’ in signing Tottenham Hotspur and Wales winger Brennan Johnson.
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However, it is not clear if this would be a loan move or a permanent deal.
The Whites are not going to be alone in the race to sign Johnson this winter. South London outfit Crystal Palace are also said to be keen on a move.
They value the winger at £50m, so it could mean Leeds need to pay a fee in that ballpark if they want to sign him.
Why Johnson could be another Dan James
If there is one thing Johnson will add to the Leeds side, it is Premier League experience. He has played for boyhood side Nottingham Forest and, more recently, Spurs, making him something of a plug-and-play signing for Farke.
He’s made 120 top-flight appearances so far for the two clubs, bagging 26 goals and assisting 19 in that time.
In each of his two full campaigns for Spurs, he’s managed 16 goals and assists, his best numbers in a single season of the Premier League.
Johnson’s PL stats by season
Season (club)
Games
Goals (Assists)
22/23 (Forest)
38
8 (3)
23/24 (Forest/Spurs)
35
5 (11)
24/25 (Spurs)
33
11 (5)
25/26 (Spurs)
14
2 (0)
Stats from Transfermarkt
Of course, the Welsh international also played in Europe for Spurs, scoring the winning goal in the 2024/25 Europa League final against Manchester United. That is certainly a brilliant experience to add to Farke’s squad.
One of Johnson’s great strengths is the fact that he can hurt teams in transition. His pace is “frightening,” according to football social media presence HLTCO, and he has a real knack for popping up with a goal at the back post, referenced by The Overlap: The Breakdown host, H.
It is certainly possible to draw similarities between the potential signing of Johnson and that of Daniel James back in 2021.
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Immediately, it is easy to see how these deals are alike, with the pair both Welsh international wingers, joining from a traditional “big six” side, Manchester United in James’ case.
Just like Johnson would be if he moved to Elland Road, his compatriot was a plug-and-play addition.
James racked up 74 appearances for the Red Devils and chipped in with 18 goals and assists in that time. He’s since grabbed 51 goal involvements in a Leeds shirt.
However, as players, they have similar strengths, too. James is also a huge threat on the counter-attack and is known as one of the quickest players around. According to Speeds Database, his top speed is 31kph.
There are certainly lots of similarities between the pair of Welsh internationals. Signing Johnson could well make Leeds a bigger threat in the final third, and certainly give them an extra weapon in transition alongside James.
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