Leeds United are currently preparing for their final match in the Championship, hopefully for a long time, against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on Saturday.
The Whites can hit 100 points in the second tier for the first time in their history with a win against the Pilgrims this weekend, which will also confirm their position as champions of the division.
Daniel Farke’s side hammered Bristol City 4-0 last time out at Elland Road to set themselves up for a chance to hit a century of points in their final match.
Leeds will be beginning to think about how they will prepare for a season in the Premier League next term, as they aim to avoid an instant relegation back down to the Championship.
The official confirmation of Ipswich Town’s relegation from the top-flight last weekend means that all three newly-promoted sides have gone straight back down in the last two seasons, which illustrates the difficulty of the task ahead for the Whites.
Recruitment will need to be spot on from the club to give Farke and his staff the best possible chance of avoiding relegation, and signing loanee Manor Solomon could be one of the first bits of business on the agenda.
Why Leeds should consider signing Manor Solomon
The Israel international is currently on loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur until the end of the season, which means that the clash with Plymouth this weekend could be his last outing for the West Yorkshire outfit.
TEAMtalk recently reported that the Whites are planning to pursue a permanent deal for the former Fulham star, and that Spurs are open to cashing in on the winger in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Leeds may look to press ahead with a swoop for the 25-year-old dynamo because of his impressive form in the Championship this season, as he has displayed his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Whites.
The Spurs loanee has been particularly impressive in recent weeks, during the business end of the campaign, with a return of two goals and five assists in his last five matches in the second tier.
Appearances
38
xG
7.93
Goals
9
Big chances created
21
xA
9.08
Assists
12
As you can see in the table above, Solomon has been directly involved in 21 goals in 38 appearances in the Championship so far this season, which speaks to how influential he has been in the final third for Farke throughout the campaign.
This is why he could be an excellent addition to the squad ahead of promotion to the Premier League, as the Spurs loanee could be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch.
Leeds lining up move for 33-goal star
Leeds, however, could land an even better signing than Solomon if they can win the race for their latest reported transfer target in the summer window.
Transfer Focus
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According to The Boot Room, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs lining up a move for Celtic winger Daizen Maeda to bolster their attacking options.
The report claims that Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool have been keeping tabs on the Japan international, who has scored 33 goals in all competitions this season.
It also reveals that Aston Villa, Brentford, Leeds, Crystal Palace, and West Ham United are among the other Premier League clubs interested in a deal to sign the Celtic superstar in the summer transfer window.
The Boot Room adds that the Scottish Premiership sensation is set to be available for a fee in the region of £25m, which means that he will not come cheap, and Leeds must push to win the race for his services because he could be an even better signing than Solomon.
Why Daizen Maeda could be an even better signing than Manor Solomon
Both Maeda and Solomon are right-footed forwards who predominantly cut in from the left flank and attempt to impact matches with goals and assists on a regular basis.
The Celtic star has racked up a staggering 33 goals and 11 assists in 47 games in all competitions, including four goals in nine Champions League matches.
Solomon, on the other hand, has scored nine goals and provided 13 assists in 40 matches in all competitions for Leeds, which immediately suggests that Maeda could offer more consistent quality, particularly as a goalscorer, for the club next season.
It is not only their quality in possession that should be taken into account, however, as the Whites are going up to the Premier League knowing that the last six teams have come straight back down, which means that they will have to do plenty of defending and are likely to be on the back foot in plenty of matches.
With this in mind, the Celtic star could be an even better signing than Solomon because of the work that he puts in out of possession to be a positive for his side defensively, whether that be tracking back to help his full-back or in counter-pressing situations.
38
31
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.1
1.7
Dribbled past per game
0.6x
0.5x
Clearances per game
0.1
0.3
Aerial duel success rate
0%
40%
Aerial duels won per game
0.0
0.5
As you can see in the table above, Maeda offers more than the Leeds loanee from a defensive perspective, with more tackles, interceptions, and clearances made per game, whilst being dribbled past less often.
Maeda, who has been described as a “machine” by coaches, can also defend the back post when dropping in to help his full-back out, as shown by his aerial duels won, whereas Solomon struggles a lot in those situations.
Therefore, Leeds could be better of pursuing a deal for the Celtic star, despite there also being a lot of reasons why Solomon could be a great addition, because of his potential to offer more than the Spurs loanee both in and out of possession in the Premier League next season.
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