Eyebrows were inevitably raised when Manchester United signed Daniel James last summer.
At just 21-years-of-age, the Welshman became the first outfield name from the Championship to arrive at Old Trafford since Wilfred Zaha in 2012. For many United fans, this would have been their first introduction to the player himself.
It was a signing that indicated a change in transfer approach from the club, who have begun targeting young, promising British talents. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has set out to rebuild the squad with a fresh core of such profiles, whilst also being versatile to some exceptions too.
Embed from Getty ImagesJames has enjoyed a productive debut campaign in Manchester, with no player in the United squad registering more assists this season (7). His direct running and pace down the flanks has injected some energy back into the side, with his acquired services proving to be a shrewd piece of business at just £15m.
As per the Manchester Evening News, the Welshman’s success has prompted the club to have ‘added confidence in executing future low-risk moves’ in the future. United have already been linked with another Championship signing this summer in the shape of Jude Bellingham, who at 16, also possesses the ‘little risk’ factor of not adding at least some form of value to the squad.
This doesn’t mean the club are going to start raiding all the lower divisions across Europe, but instead, suggests they are open to bolstering out their options with efficient finds. Transfer recruitment has dramatically improved under Solskjaer’s watch, with there being a more thorough process of scouting, identifying and then acquiring a specific profile of player.
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