Daniel James was so very nearly a Leeds United player.
The Swansea City winger saw his move to Elland Road fall at the last hurdle in January 2019.
The Welshman then sealed a move to Manchester United the following summer after Leeds had lost to Derby County in the play-offs and the question of what could have been was left lingering.
Eighteen months later and Leeds are in great shape for a return to the Premier League, while James has enjoyed a solid debut season at Old Trafford.
The Sun report Manchester United are considering offering James a new contract and sending him out on loan next season, which has sparked talk of him finally turning out for Leeds.
Jonathan Barnett, one of the most powerful agents in football, was involved in the move that saw James's move to Leeds collapse and he lifted the lid on the behind-the-scenes details from deadline day.
“People have to realise each person is different. He [James] is clever, he knows how it is. Some deals work out, some deals don’t,” Barnett told Sportwitness.
“At that time, it just didn’t work out for many reasons. You can’t blame anybody. He knows that if one door closes, another door opens.
"That’s why he has people like ourselves and we are good at that. We make sure everything is good for him and we’re good at that.
“It’s not just about transferring from one club to another. It’s making sure his life is okay.
“It’s very important. The agent’s job is not just the glamour side everybody thinks it is. It isn’t. It is looking after your clients, making sure that everything is right for the player.
“By the time the player retires, everything is done for him so that he can live the rest of his life the way he wants to live. That’s the most important thing as an agent. That’s a full-time job. I think a lot them don’t understand that.
“There has to be a tremendous amount of trust between the client and the agent. That must never be destroyed. Everything must be straight.
"The agent has a very important role to make sure everything is right and it’s a big responsibility. That’s beyond anything else.
“At the end the day, the client knows his agent will be there for him and that’s important because the club will only want him while he’s still there, while he’s still useful to them. After that, they don’t care.”
