Leeds United hit the jackpot with Man Utd signing - He's outperforming Crysencio Summerville this season | OneFootball

Dan James is enjoying an excellent campaign with Leeds United

Dan James is enjoying the finest campaign of his career with Leeds United, who are perhaps finally seeing ample vindication of their staggering Manchester United purchase after more than three seasons.

Leeds brought James to Elland Road in a reported £25 million deal with rivals Man United back in August 2021, nearly two years after Marcelo Bielsa fell agonisingly short of swiping the winger from Swansea City. James, of course, was infamously poised to complete a move to West Yorkshire after a breakout half-season with Swans, but the deal fell through at the eleventh-hour.

He later joined the Red Devils and spent two years at Old Trafford before finally completing a move to Leeds, but it's taken a long time for the Whites to be rewarded for their persistence.

James returned just four goals and assists apiece in his first Premier League campaign with Leeds and then spent the 2022/23 term on loan with Fulham as his parent side were relegated to the Championship.

However, the Welsh international winger has since redeemed his Leeds career after dropping down to the Championship and, at this rate, the Whites are sure to feel some form of vindication for their significant outlay.

Dan James has shone in the Championship for Leeds United - they don't miss Summerville at all

It perhaps goes under the radar just how impressive James really was last term as Leeds were denied of a swift Premier League return in the play-off final against Southampton, with the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter stealing the headlines.

The duo were a cheat code of a Championship double-act, of course, but it can be forgotten that James played an influential role by scoring on 13 occasions while setting up a further seven.

His importance has been further underlined this season in the absence of Summerville, who left last summer for West Ham United.

At the time of writing, just three Championship players - namely Finn Azaz, Borja Sainz and Whites frontman Joel Piroe - have chalked up more combined goals and assists than James' return of 16.

Nobody in the second-tier has created more big chances either, while James also ranks top in the division for xA (7.5). All things considered, James should have more assists than his six, and Sainz and Bristol City's Anis Mehmeti are the only two players who aren't strikers to be outscoring his tally of 10 strikes at this moment in time.

James' form has gone up a notch in recent times, in line with Leeds' amplified pursuit of the Championship title. In the last month, James contributed to both goals in the 2-0 victory over Norwich City, scored and laid on two to inspire a 7-0 rout of Cardiff City at Elland Road and bagged a brace to help the 4-0 win at Watford.

Leeds are currently in the driving seat to lift the league title come May. They have a two-point advantage over second-placed Sheffield United, a seven-point advantage over Burnley in third, and James to thank for their increasing chances of going up as champions.

For what it's worth, James is enjoying a much stronger campaign than the aforementioned Summerville, who has struggled since joining the Hammers in the Premier League.

Of course, the simple caveat is that Summerville, who has just one goal and one assist from 19 top-flight appearances, is playing in a higher division and has had both stiff competition for places and injuries to contend with, but James has gone some way to ensuring the Dutchman has not been as sorely missed as first feared.

Dan James is on track to justifying Leeds United's £25m Man Utd purchase

At one stage, it had looked as though James was never going to make good of Leeds' investment. When he was on loan at Fulham struggling for both regular minutes and form amid the Whites' relegation to the second-tier, the school of thought was, understandably, that James was yet another high-profile transfer blunder made by the Yorkshire side.

Now, though, Leeds are belatedly reaping the rewards of their outlay. James will go some way to vindicating the decision to splash the cash on his services if, as expected, he helps Leeds to the league title.

The financial reward of Premier League promotion would far, far outstrip what they forked out for him, albeit as a Premier League club themselves at the time.

But Daniel Farke's side look to have solid foundations in place for their return to the top-flight, too. Should the 27-year-old help to consolidate Leeds back in the big time next term, his signing will have to go down as a success - and he has every chance of doing so, having found a new lease of life under Farke.