Leeds United fans will be very much aware that the Championship play-off final defeat at the hands of Russell Martin's Southampton is the last time they'll most likely see this current crop of Whites talents all perform alongside each other, with a potential fire sale now on the horizon.
Rumours suggest that the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray, Wilfried Gnonto and more could all be sold on now for mega money to balance the books, with Leeds' financial situation very precarious if they fail to offload various members of their star-studded squad this summer.
It could be an almighty challenge to get to 90 points next campaign and try to go one better to win promotion, therefore, with this exciting squad potentially dismantled and picked off by higher-up suitors taking advantage of Leeds falling at the final hurdle.
Despite only coming on late into the second half at Wembley, the West Yorkshire titans would be even more gutted to see this gem also leave the building in the off-season, having turned around his fortunes with the Whites across this campaign after once being viewed as an easy scapegoat.
Dan James' time at Leeds
James was always going to be fighting an uphill battle to initially win Leeds fans over on his arrival to Elland Road back in 2021, having once been wrapped up to be a signing for the Whites before a move fell dramatically through, alongside his prior Manchester United connections presumably irking the Leeds masses.
The £25m Leeds forked out to land the Welshman's services also meant his name was instantly branded about as being a flop when he didn't hit the ground running after first relocating, only helping himself to four goals and four assists during his debut campaign.
This season, right after staring his Leeds future in the face when being chucked out on loan to Fulham last campaign, has seen him become an important first-teamer though, excelling under the regime of Farke dropping down a division with his excessive £25m fee now somewhat justified.
Dan James' 2023/24 season in numbers
The slick 26-year-old attacker notched up 20 goal contributions across all competitions and made the right wing spot his own for most of the campaign even with Gnonto breathing down his neck, leading to football pundit Sanny Rudravajhala describing James as "electric" for all his contributions early in the campaign during a season that ultimately ended in failure.
Stat
James
Gnonto
Minutes played
24
66
Touches
18
41
Attempted crosses
3
0
Shots on goal
3
1
Successful dribbles
1/1
1/3
Duels won
2/4
3/7
Stats by Sofascore
James starting from the get-go in the play-off final could well have swung the contest in his side's favour though, when glancing at the table above, with the ex-Red Devils man firing more efforts at Alex McCarthy's net from far less time on the pitch when compared to his Italian counterpart.
One of those shots was a fierce effort that ended up clattering the crossbar as the clock ticked down, with the late second-half substitute nearly giving Leeds a golden way back into the contest before their fate of staying rooted in the Championship was cruelly confirmed.
Losing James in the summer would obviously be a sucker punch, and with Southampton allegedly eyeing up the 26-year-old to further pile on the misery, this major blow would only sting even more if Martin's men were to tempt him down to the South Coast.
Leeds will just have to hope they can recoup a large portion of the £25m they splashed out on him three years ago if he is to exit, knowing it might be easier to demand an extortionate fee out of the likes of Liverpool circling for another star in attack in Summerville than the recently promoted Saints.
Leeds' summer plans for 2024
Leeds won't want to lose Summerville, but will be abundantly aware it's going to be a tall order to keep him happy at Elland Road with no Premier League football on the menu, with reports already suggesting that he is itching for a move away and will demand one.
A fee in the region of £35m-£40m will be demanded, according to Football Insider, which seems a fair sum to pay for a star who managed a staggering 31 goal contributions this season which should have resulted in promotion being clinched just off the back of his sublime efforts.
Leeds could, therefore, struggle to get £25m out of a suitor eyeing up James if Summerville is worth just £10m more, in contrast, with the Welshman's transfer value taking a hit since joining in 2021 according to Football Transfers even in spite of a standout campaign.
James' valuation now stands at a far lesser £10.9m, despite putting in the best numbers of his career to date under Farke, with Leeds set to make a big loss on their exciting winger if money is desperately needed to appropriately balance the books.
2024
£10.9m
2023
£11.3m
2022
£18.6m
2021
£25m
2020
£15.1m
Sourced by Football Transfers
Looking at his fluctuating values over the years, Leeds must regret paying way over the odds for his services in 2021 no matter his excellent performances this campaign, knowing it will be hard to get a fee close to the high £25m they once handed out in the here and now.
Losing Summerville, James and Gnonto – with the Italian winger able to leave for a fee in the region of £30m according to further reports – could open up the door for the Whites to be able to sign someone like Joe Rodon permanently even with his loan side not winning promotion, with James' fellow compatriot settling well in his West Yorkshire location away from being a bit-part player at Tottenham Hotspur.
Rodon is only worth £5m, if looking at Football Transfers' predicted price tag, with James surprisingly worth double that even whilst the 26-year-old managed to regularly shine at the back alongside his Welsh teammate.
Contributing to 17 clean sheets from 43 games in the regular campaign, Rodon will be tempted to potentially stay put at Elland Road with his loan spell ending on a sour note instead of the joy of promotion being savoured.
It doesn't have to be the end of the world for Farke's Whites if a number of influential faces do depart West Yorkshire this summer after Wembley heartbreak, having recovered from losing the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha in the not-so-distant past, with a new batch of heroes then assembled which could even include Rodon staying for good.
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