Having arrived from Swansea in the summer for a reported £15m, Daniel James has been a revelation for Manchester United in his debut season at Old Trafford. The Wales international has struck the back of the net three times and provided a further seven assists, and against Burnley in late December, delivered the kind of display that showed he has the mettle to be a real Premier League star.

But against Manchester City in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash on Tuesday night, James' performance left a lot to be desired. It raised a serious concern about how effective the 22-year-old can be in certain games, and whether there is an element of being a one-trick pony about him.

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His speed is there for all to see, with that breakaway goal against Chelsea in United's opening Premier League game of the season still fresh in the mind. But up against defences that are far more resilient and form a low block, does he have more tricks up his sleeve to really unlock the door? Against City, James tried simply to knock the ball past Benjamin Mendy before chasing after it, and it was a tactic that failed to succeed.

As per Sofascore, he failed to complete the one dribble that he attempted, delivered three inaccurate crosses, and made just six total passes in the 64 minutes that he was on the pitch. It was no surprise therefore that his 6.1 match rating was the lowest of any player on either side.

And perhaps crucially, it should force Ed Woodward and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer into reconsidering their transfer plans for this month. Their lack of real significant depth in the right-wing position is alarming, with Mason Greenwood really the only other option - and even he played up front against City. The Red Devils could do with someone who presents a different profile and style of play to James.

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Solskjaer only had to look at the opposition on Tuesday to see City's right-winger Riyad Mahrez score a goal and cause Brandon Williams problems with his propensity to check inside onto his left foot - the Algerian completed all five of his attempted dribbles. If United can secure a wide-man who perhaps is similarly left-footed and is more adept at getting engaged in the build-up play of the game, rather than as an out-and-out old-school winger like James, they could be a lot more destructive.

Meanwhile, Manchester United making a swoop for this 13-assist ace could help transform them.