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Leeds have discussed swoop for "explosive" £20m "menace", he'd be a Solomon repeat - opinion

Leeds United will be looking to bring in attacking reinforcements to bolster their playing squad before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

The Whites have added Gabriel Gudmundsson, Jaka Bijol, Sebastian Bornauw, Lucas Perri, Anton Stach, and Sean Longstaff to improve the defence and midfield.

Hoffenheim's Anton Stach

So far, Lukas Nmecha, who signed on a free transfer from Wolfsburg, is the only attacking player to have been brought in ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.

Daniel Farke has made it clear that the Championship champions are looking to add more quality to their options in the attacking areas of the pitch in the next few weeks.

As the German boss pointed out in the quotes above, Leeds have yet to replace Manor Solomon since the winger returned to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of his loan spell.

Irrespective of whether or not the Israel international returns to Elland Road for a second stint in West Yorkshire, it is hard to argue against his loan move being a huge success.

Leeds hit the jackpot with Manor Solomon

The loan market can be incredibly useful for teams looking to get out of the Championship, or to survive in the Premier League, because it allows you to take undervalued talent from bigger clubs.

Manor-Solomon

Solomon only made six appearances in all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign for Spurs, which shows that he was not a key member of Ange Postecoglou's squad in the Premier League.

This allowed Leeds to swoop in to secure a loan deal for the left-sided attacker because he did not have a short-term future in North London, presenting the Whites with an opportunity to sign a calibre of player that they otherwise may not have been able to land in the Championship.

Solomon then showcased his immense quality on the left wing throughout the season to help Leeds win the title and secure promotion back to the Premier League.

24/25 Championship Manor Solomon

Appearances 39

xG 8.15

Goals 10

Big chances created 21

Key passes per game 1.7

Assists 12

Dribbles completed per game 1.8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old wing wizard produced an eye-catching 31 goals and 'big chances' created combined in 39 appearances in the second tier.

manor-solomon-leeds-championship

This shows that the Whites hit the jackpot with the Spurs loanee because he only spent a season at the club on loan, yet made a huge impact on the pitch in his relatively short time in West Yorkshire.

Leeds eyeing deal for Premier League winger

According to The Athletic's Beren Cross, Leeds United have joined the race to sign Liverpool forward Ben Doak, who could arrive as Solomon 2.0 for Farke.

The reporter claims that the Scotland international has been discussed as a potential signing at Elland Road, as they look to bolster their attacking options.

Cross adds, though, that the Premier League champions will not allow the left-footed starlet to leave for less than £20m, and it remains to be seen whether or not the Whites would be willing to pay that much for him.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, meanwhile, claims that Leeds, West Ham United, Monaco, and Bologna are all in the race to sign the forward, which shows that there is plenty of competition for his signature.

Ben Doak in action for Middlesbrough

Joseph also states that Doak may move on from Anfield this summer because the 19-year-old wants to play regular football, after spending last season on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship.

Why Ben Doak would be a Manor Solomon repeat for Leeds

The West Yorkshire outfit could repeat their Solomon masterclass by securing a deal to bring Doak over to Elland Road before the end of the summer transfer window.

Whilst it would not be the exact same type of deal, as this would be a permanent move, the strategy is still the same: signing an undervalued player who is unlikely to get minutes at one of the best clubs in England.

ben doak

As was the case with Solomon behind Heung-min Son at Spurs, the Liverpool youngster may be on his way out of Anfield because he is unlikely to break past reigning Premier League Player of the Season Mohamed Salah on the right flank.

This has presented Leeds with a potential opportunity to sign Doak, who was hailed as a "menace" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, and improve their forward options with another impressive winger.

The 19-year-old whiz spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Middlesbrough and caught the eye with three goals and seven assists in 21 starts for Michael Carrick's side.

24/25 Championship Ben Doak per 90 Percentile rank vs wingers

xG 0.22 Top 26%

Goals 0.15 Top 48%

xA 0.23 Top 9%

Assists 0.35 Top 10%

Chances created 2.22 Top 7%

Successful dribbles 1.76 Top 22%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish forward ranked highly as a creator on the right wing for Boro, but could improve when it comes to finishing the chances that come his way.

At the age of 19, the Liverpool youngster is a very young player who still has plenty of time left ahead of him to improve and develop as a player, which means that he could be a fantastic signing for the long-term as well as a winger who could make an instant impact for Farke.

Liverpool-Ben-Doak

Doak, who was dubbed "explosive" by pundit Danny Murphy, could be a terrific option off the bench for Leeds in the Premier League because of his ability to dribble and create.

Throwing him on against tired defences could be very effective when the Whites need to push for a goal late on in matches to win vital points in their attempt to avoid relegation, as he has the dribbling ability to take on tired full-backs and the creative quality to provide his teammates with high-quality chances to score.

Therefore, Leeds should be pushing to get a deal over the line for Doak in a move that would be reminiscent of when they hit the jackpot with Solomon last season.

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