Since you've taken the time to make a list of names, I'm going to address each of them in turn.
James: Personally, I think he's a wonderful player, and the closest thing to a world-class, X factor type player on the market this summer. On the face of it, he's absolutely better value than Perisic. But things are a little more complicated than that. Reading between the lines (as many others have done), I've come to the conclusion Perisic has been targeted because of specific attributes he brings: pace, width, defensive diligence, and a compensation for the defensive deficiencies of Martial and Pogba. So lets see if James provides those qualities:
Pace? Not really. He's not exactly slow but he's hardly your ideal counter-attacking winger.
Width? Certainly not. At best, you put him out wide and you get an inverted winger, basically what we already have in Mata or Mikhi (though admittedly more talented).
Defensive diligence? Ask Zinedine Zidane.
Balance? Depends on where you put him, but as a wide player, certainly not. Again, ask Zidane.
So really, James doesn't provide any of the things Perisic has (most likely) been identified for. Of course, if you're talking about James being signed
alongside Perisic, that's a different matter entirely...
Ozil: You're kidding me right? Same age as Perisic, shrinks in big games, stats barely improve on Perisic, and in truth probably past his best. We could also go through the same exercise we did with James to see if he provides any of the same attributes, but I think you know where that would lead.
Forsberg: I'll admit, I don't know much about him, although I've heard him talked about with some admiration. For all I know, he may provide the same qualities Perisic does, and at a better level. However, I'm not sure he provides the star quality, world class ability that I was referring to in my previous post.
Lemar: Pretty sure Monaco won't sell, particularly having lost Silva. Is he a top player? Definitely. Does he have the kind of quality we need? Sure. If we can get him, I'd love him here. Honestly I'd be surprised if we haven't made an inquiry. But I seem to remember Monaco putting out a pretty strong statement that he was staying, and if that's what the player wants, then it's out of our hands.
Brandt: Similar situation to Forsberg. Only difference is that he's much younger and more of a prospect, which I'm not sure is something we can indulge more of when we're already trying to patiently develop Rahsford, Martial and Shaw. But again, I don't know much about him, he could be a real talent.
Insinge: I could mumble something about
Italian players not tending to do well in the premier league, and although I do believe that argument has merit I'm sure you could counter that we have two Serie A exports in our team who are doing rather well for themselves. That said, I really like Insinge, he's a player I've always been a big fan of. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to signing him. And he's had a great season. Why haven't we been linked with him? I can only think of two reasons. Either Mourinho doesn't think he'd fit in here, or the player is happy at Napoli. Either way, we have to live with it. Our money and our club aura ultimately only get us so far.
Ultimately, there are a couple of players here that I fancy, a couple of others not so much. What I do believe is that Perisic was identified as a target not because he was the best player available, but because he has specific qualities that will bring out the best in others, and our team as a whole. There are worse reasons to sign a player.