In James' case, the former Manchester United man has endured a turbulent time of things at Elland Road, cast out on loan to Fulham in 2022/23, albeit while returning to play a central role in Daniel Farke's promotion push.

Across 2023/24 and 2024/25, for instance, he was involved in 41 Championship goals, looking back to the player who had burst onto the scene as a youngster at Swansea City.

Life back in the top flight wasn't kind to the Wales winger last time out, largely due to injury, although James' midweek display has showcased what he can offer against Premier League opposition.

Dan James' City Ground display in numbers

2025/26 was one to forget for the 28-year-old, with James restricted to just six league starts in all, failing to register a single goal or assist upon his return to the top flight.

An unused substitute on the opening weekend against Nottingham Forest, the £25m man had previously looked sharp in pre-season, memorably pouncing to tee up Brenden Aaronson against his former club at Croke Park.

He's certainly a handful at his best, with that evident again against Forest in midweek, as the Leeds speedster opened the scoring in the Carabao Cup clash with Oliver Glasner's men.

Yes, he was almost afforded the freedom of the City Ground by the Forest defence, yet James still had the composure to finish the chance, producing a jubilant celebration to follow.

It wasn't just his goal that stood out, however, with Leeds' number seven such a threat all evening, having supplied three key passes and created two 'big chances' from the flanks.

While he did lose possession on 18 occasions, that seemingly pointed to his desire to make things happen for the visitors in the final third, racking up seven attempted crosses in all - by far the most of any player on the pitch.

James can be a striker's and a manager's dream when at his best, with there still a player in there for Farke to utilise. Competition for places is fierce, however, with potential new additions set to further complicate matters.

How Leeds can upgrade on Dan James

Harry Wilson and Brenden Aaronson remain the go-to picks behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, although Farke does also have Gnonto, James and Noah Okafor waiting in the wings too.

Even so, there's still a nagging feeling that the Whites are a little light in that department, lacking a real game-changer who can conjure up something out of nothing.

At one stage this summer, there were claims that the Yorkshire side had even been offered wantaway AC Milan winger, Rafael Leao, with the Portuguese given the cold shoulder by new boss, Ruben Amorim.

Leao has since packed his bags to head to Galatasaray, ending any slim hopes of a Leeds switch, although the 49ers do have more realistic targets in mind, including Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk.

According to Football Insider, the Ukrainian is said to be 'desperate' to leave Stamford Bridge before the deadline, amid his desire for game time.

Leeds have already seen a loan bid rebuffed by the Blues, but, as per the report, the Whites haven't ended their pursuit as yet due to his willingness to join.

The 25-year-old is said to be a 'leading target' for Farke and co, even while having endured such a lengthy spell on the sidelines amid his doping investigation.

He would need time to get properly up to speed, although Mudryk did feature in pre-season under Xabi Alonso, suggesting he isn't too far away from full match fitness.

Of course, this would be a gamble considering the length of his exile, but at his best the former Shakhtar Donetsk man is a real asset. He wasn't signed for £62m for no reason back in January 2023.

He's perhaps been a victim of so much upheaval in west London, but there have been flashes of his quality, not least on his debut away at Anfield.

Even as recently as the 2024/25 campaign too, Mudryk scored and assisted six goals in just four outings in the Conference League, prior to his spell on the sidelines.

In 2023/24, he also ended the campaign with a solid return of five goals and two assists in the Premier League from only 18 starts, averaging one key pass and 1.3 successful dribbles per game, while creating six 'big chances' from his left-wing berth.

For comparison, in James' first season at Leeds in the Premier League, he did notch eight goals and assists in total, albeit while averaging just 0.8 key passes and 0.6 successful dribbles per game, while creating only five 'big chances'.

Back in Ukraine too, the first half of 2022/23 saw Mudryk score and assist 13 goals in just 12 league starts, eclipsing James' best return in the top tier of ten goal involvements in 2019/20 at Man United.

It's also worth noting what Mudryk showcased previously in the Champions League, scoring and assisting five goals in seven starts in 2022/23, proving particularly impressive home and away against Celtic.

James, meanwhile, has only made two Champions League appearances in his career, scoring once.

At his best, Mudryk possesses the lightning speed of James, yet with a greater end product to match, the 25-year-old someone who can beat his man so easily due to his blend of pace and dribbling prowess.

He hasn't been able to show such quality for so long now, but Elland Road could be the perfect place for the former Shakhtar man to enjoy a resurgence.