Leeds United 'magnet' and Manor Solomon availability concern explained as late transfer thinking revealed — YEP 30/8/24

By Joe Donnohue

As the transfer window comes to a close it appears as though Leeds United have signed two players in Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon to replace the output of talismanic winger Crysencio Summerville.

The Dutchman left Elland Road earlier this summer in a £25 million-plus deal to join West Ham United after his relegation release clause was activated by the Hammers.

In doing so, Leeds parted with 19 goals and nine assists achieved during their 90-point campaign last season, which resulted in a play-off final defeat by Southampton at Wembley Stadium.

The Whites took their time in replacing 22-year-old Summerville, but have done so with two left-wing options in Ramazani and Solomon. While some might question why two players who ostensibly operate in the same position have been signed to seemingly play the same role, the answer could be simpler than the pair competing for minutes alongside each other.

For starters, Solomon arrives on the back of an injury-hit campaign in which he spent the vast majority sidelined due to a torn meniscus. This injury, coupled with knee surgery during his loan spell with Fulham in 2022/23 in which he missed 17 matches as a result, suggests the 25-year-old is unlikely to feature in all of Leeds' 43 remaining league matches this season.

Since the beginning of 2022, Solomon has been injured for a cumulative 460 days, which equates to just over 15 months. Given 30 months have passed since January 2022, the Israeli international has been available for roughly half of that time, therefore Leeds would be unable to rely on the winger throughout the entire campaign.

While former Almeria attacker Ramazani has not suffered with injury problems to the same extent, he has developed a penchant for attracting the attention of officials throughout his time in Spain. The Belgian was handed a five-match ban after directing an expletive-laden tirade at a match official following Almeria's defeat by Villarreal back in April.

The 23-year-old was shown a yellow card in the 80th minute of that match, followed by a second booking seven minutes later, however Ramazani missed Almeria's next five games through suspension due to his reaction towards referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, during which time the club's relegation was confirmed.

Ramazani was suspended twice earlier in the campaign for accruing five yellow cards and then also for a second bookable offence in a goalless draw with Athletic Club.

His time in Spain, between late 2020 and this summer, saw him pick up 28 yellows and two reds, therefore his reputation as something of a card magnet means Leeds may need to do without him at some stage of this year's 46-game campaign.

Both are expected to be involved in some capacity as Leeds host Hull City this weekend, although Daniel Farke faces a decision with regards to his starting line-up. Ramazani is more likely to feature from the start, replacing the injured Dan James, however Farke may elect to go with Joel Piroe in the No. 10 role and move Brenden Aaronson out wide to mitigate for the Welshman's absence instead.