In the summer window, Leeds United made the decision to not sign Manor Solomon. It came as a shock to some fans as many thought he would be the first transfer after the season he had.
The Spurs winger was a huge part of the promotion campaign and scored the winner on the final day that helped the Whites secure the league title. But there was no movement from Leeds on that front, and Solomon ended up signing on loan with Villarreal this summer.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manor Solomon | 40 | 10 | 12 |
| Largie Ramazani | 29 | 6 | 2 |
Not signing the winger was not the only strange decision in the off-season; Daniel Farke chose to not have Mateo Joseph and Largie Ramazani in his plans for the Premier League. Joseph came as no surprise as he asked for a transfer and failed to report for pre-season. But many fans still had hope for Ramazani.
The winger showed a glimpse of what he can provide towards the end of last season, and the Elland Road crowd were very impressed. But in just the second week of the season, the Belgian was shipped off to Spain much to the surprise of the supporters. Farke had previously questioned Ramazani’s attitude, but there were no sign of those issues visibly throughout the season as the winger waited for his chances and took them when they arrived.
Leeds United need to find a way to bring back Manor Solomon and Largie Ramazani
This week’s loss to Forest only amplified the club’s need for quality attacking options. Sean Dyche brought on Omari Hutchinson who terrorized the Leeds defence and was key in two of the three goals. The Whites had players like that in Solomon and Ramazani last season, but this year, the options are not up to that level. The team needs flair and technical quality off the bench, someone who can come up with a goal when needed – these two players offer that.
Failing to sign Solomon and loaning out Ramazani were not the only mistakes made this summer. The Whites signed just one wide player in Noah Okafor, with Daniel Farke opting to keep Jack Harrison. The Leeds boss has also decided as the season went on that Brenden Aaronson is his preferred choice at right wing.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Harrison | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Brenden Aaronson | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| Wilfried Gnonto | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Dan James | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Noah Okafor | 10 | 2 | 0 |
And even though the American is finding goal contributions in recent games, his overall contribution to the attack is poor. Leeds pose no threat when Aaronson plays out wide, and opponents never worry about defending his flank. Harrison, when he comes on, has made little impact and still has a poor relationship with the fans. His performances have done nothing to improve that.
Not getting more reinforcements out wide has also come back to bite Leeds, as Dan James and Willy Gnonto have failed to be consistently available this campaign. James has only featured in 293 minutes available in the league, while Gnonto has just five appearances all season. The pair have been injured for much of the campaign and have looked off the pace when they have played.
Will January moves be possible?
Manor Solomon now seems to be out of favour under Villarreal coach Marcelino. The Winger has barely played since his debut, and could force a move in January. But that would depend on Tottenham recalling him from loan or the player asking his parent club to bring him back due to a lack of game time. Solomon was keen to stay in England before his move to Spain, Leeds hold the power in this move despite it not being their player. A message to Solomon that club want him back will likely be all that’s needed for the player to push through a return to England in January, and then back on loan to Leeds.
The Whites also have a recall option for Largie Ramazani that will be active in the January window. Injuries have disrupted the winger’s season in Spain, but with his skillset, Leeds can get a solution to a problem they have without spending an extra penny. It’s a no brainer at this stage but with Farke in charge, it’s unlikely the player will return. If Farke is sacked, Ramazani will likely be back at Elland Road and in contention again. Both Ramazani and Solomon would be better options than what Leeds currently have and it is quite absurd that the club have Harrison and Aaronson in those positions – a new manager would likely rectify this but only time will tell.
