Dan James’ latest Wales performance makes Daniel Farke’s Leeds decision even clearer

Daniel Farke may have to put an end to Dan James' time at Leeds United in the near future.

The 28-year-old winger has struggled since the Whites were promoted to the Premier League.

The Welsh wizard was brilliant in the Championship in the 2024-25 campaign, but made 19 top-flight appearances without a single goal contribution last season.

That poor form has continued with James playing just five times for a total of 189 minutes, across a potential seven matches, and notching just one goal.

His latest struggles on the international stage may make Farke's decision even easier.

He was not at the races as the Ethan Ampadu-led Dragons stumbled to a 2-0 defeat to Denmark.

Why was Dan James' latest performance away from Leeds so bad?

James is usually so reliable for his country, with 10 goals and 11 assists in 67 caps.

However, the current international break has further exposed his issues, especially with his performance in the defeat to the Danes.

James was replaced in the 67th minute, and he created just one chance and had one touch in the opposition box, per FotMob data.

He earned two fouls, made two passes into the final third, and completed one of two dribble attempts, for a 50 per cent success rate.

The most telling data was the fact that he made four defensive contributions, with two clearances and two interceptions.

James won three of six ground duels, for a 50 per cent success rate, but that is not his main job.

Wales Online labelled his showing as "pretty anonymous", which is as damning an assessment as it can get for an attacker.

Why James' Wales display should give Leeds their answer

If he can't even perform in the national set-up, it raises major questions about his future at Elland Road.

Farke has not opened up on James' future right now, and even praised him after the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Nottingham Forest.

Speaking after that contest, he said: “The second half was excellent and DJ also with a well-taken ice-cold goal. Happy for him after a tough last year, also after a while when he scored the last goal in a competitive game.”

However, the German boss needs to face the reality sooner rather than later, James has not proven himself as a reliable option at the top level.

An exit is the best outcome for all parties, as he is just not having the required impact at club or national level, and there has been no sign of that changing.

James is contracted until 2029 after signing an extension with the LS11 side in July 2025, but the Thorp Arch side should be trying to cash in.