Simon Jordan: Buying Dan James shows Leeds United do not have ambition
Buying Dan James was a sign that Leeds United don’t have enough ambition to keep stars like Kalvin Phillips at the club according to Simon Jordan.
The midfield star is the subject of strong interest from Aston Villa and West Ham, while the Whites are hoping to tie him to a new lucrative contract according to The Times.
The boyhood United fan is thought to prefer to stay at Elland Road, and ex-Crystal Palace chairman Jordan thinks he should, but believes the club have think bigger if they are to make themselves attractive enough, and took out innocent bystander James to make his point.
In a debate on talkSPORT today (23 March, 12.20pm) about the future of Phillips, host Jim White said: “Leeds will always argue that they’ve got the ambition.”
But Jordan responded: “Well, what have they shown? With respect, buying Dan James doesn’t show a lot of ambition for me.
“Buying players of that ilk doesn’t advance Leeds to a level that they need to go to which is competing inside the top 10.”
White then countered that Whites owner Andrea Radrizzani is “an ambitious owner”, to which Jordan replied: “I’m sure he is. Then he won’t have a problem illustrating that.”
Shots fired
Poor innocent Dan James, surely didn’t deserve to take the blame for the potential exit of his star teammate.
The Welsh winger has shown flashes of quality in a difficult first season at the club.
Having missed out on signing him in the 2019 January transfer window, the 24-year-old subsequently moved to Manchester United that summer.
When he became surplus to requirements at Old Trafford following the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, there must have been a feeling of unfinished business for Victor Orta.
Perhaps that clouded his judgment because the £25million fee could have been better spent elsewhere, as wide forwards are one of the few things the squad has had plenty of this year.
But James has not be terrible so he can perhaps feel slightly hard done by to be held up as the poster boy for lacking ambition.
In other Leeds United news, the club are competing with the likes of Real Madrid and Ajax for an “assist-machine”.