Leeds United transfer verdict on Manor Solomon and four other stars soon to be out of contract
Leeds United transfer verdict on Manor Solomon and four other stars soon to be out of contract.
Leeds United are set to lose at least five first-team players straight off the bat as things stand.
With contracts running dry and loan deals coming to an end, even more holes in the squad will need to be plugged ahead of a Premier League season. The club were making no firm transfer decisions on players until it was clear which division they would play in next season.
But with that now decided, the work can begin ahead of what will be a busy and vital summer for the Whites. Of the five due to exit at the end of the campaign, we have had our say on whether Leeds should try to keep them or let them go.
Manor Solomon
Verdict: Keep
Manor Solomon has got to be one of United’s key transfer targets this summer for several reasons. Not only does he look at home in this Leeds side but he solves a problem that would be created otherwise.
Solomon has played his best football at Elland Road since coming to England, albeit this has come in the second tier as opposed to previous seasons in the first. Leeds perhaps only have a handful of players at present who are worthy of a Premier League starting spot and Solomon is one.
But there is complexity when it comes to loanees and parent clubs, especially with this one. Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou signed Solomon in his first summer but could be out of the door before the start of next season.
If he does go, Solomon faces a crossroads of whether to fight for his place under any new manager or find somewhere with guaranteed game time. It might be a case of seeing how pre-season goes before a late window decision.
That won’t help Leeds, who will want to do business as quickly as possible. This is all theoretical, mind, and there are so many variables. But the point is Leeds have to try.
Joe Rothwell
Verdict: Let go
This is a tricky one. If Rothwell is available for a small price, given he will enter the final year of his contract at Bournemouth, he might be worth a permanent acquisition. But he wouldn’t be a starter.
For the player himself, he was a long-time bench fixture at Bournemouth in the Premier League, so would he want that again but just wearing a different shirt? Perhaps he’d get more game time overall at Leeds but these are questions he needs to weigh up.
Ultimately Leeds would be spending money on a bench player, when really, that money ought to be put towards buying a key starter to allow a current option to fill the bench.
Ao Tanaka is brilliant and could grow into a top flight starter but shaky outings in recent months have shown why a sturdier option is needed when it comes to the big boys of the Premier League – initially anyway.
With every penny counting amid tight spending limits this summer, Leeds need to be cut-throat with decisions.
Junior Firpo
Verdict: Keep
Now we get onto those who are out of contract. Not all of the fanbase is on the same page when it comes to Firpo, with his defensive attributes set to be tested in the top flight.
He has almost played as a second number 10 at times this season but won’t be allowed to next. The defender has the strength and aerial prowess to cope in the Premier League, not to mention his crossing.
But it’s his first-third skills that has been a point of anxiety for some supporters, skills he will have to use more often. That said, Firpo is not the player who was relegated with the club two seasons ago and has matured.
With margins so tight amid spending costs, Firpo might be one of the players that Leeds may think can be the answer to an issue not worth creating.
At the end of the day, aside from a pay rise, Firpo will not cost anything to keep on. The alternative is to not offer a renewal and have to shell out for a replacement.
Of course there is the possibility that Firpo himself is attracted by offers elsewhere, having been able to speak to overseas clubs since January. Rumours are linking former club Real Betis, who are pushing for a Champions League place, with interest.
That would be a tempting prospect. It might come down to wages and who can pay more. As things stand, no decision on his future has been made.
Sam Byram
Verdict: Keep
Leeds need utility players who can play in a variety of positions and have Premier League experience. Byram ticks those boxes, though would not be a starter.
Given this might be his last crack at a top flight season, the 31-year-old might be willing to accept that status. Such a player’s wages would not be overly burdensome and he would likely only be handed a short-term deal.
Byram is so far the only out-of-contract players to come out and outrightly declare he wishes to stay at Elland Road. With the club refraining from deciding on contract renewals until it was clear which decision they would play in next season, Byram has had to wait. Crunch time will soon come, though.
Joshua Guilavaogui
Verdict: Let go
Perhaps the most popular figure in the dressing room, Guilavogui has been the hypeman for the squad since his October arrival. Farke has described him as one of his best signings so great has his off-field impact been.
Leeds will need to trim deadweight from the squad and Guilavogui, 35 in September, is firmly within that category. He has not started a league game all season and in the two FA Cup games he did start, he looked out of sorts.
The Frenchman is always seen with a smile on his face and has roused fans with post-match tweets. But that alone cannot be enough to justify a full year’s wage in a Premier League season. Not as a player anyway…