The entertaining twists and turns of the summer transfer window are in full flow now in the Premier League.
Leeds United have been very busy on the transfer front as Daniel Farke attempts to add top-flight quality to his squad all over the pitch, with Anton Stach the latest statement addition through the door from Hoffenheim for a reported £17.4m.
However, Sunderland have also been grabbing headlines for their equally eye-catching approach, with Leeds’ promoted rival edging ever closer to one of the standout deals of the window by winning ex-Arsenal star Granit Xhaka.
The limelight might soon fall back onto Farke’s Whites, however, as more striking deals look to be in the offing at Elland Road.
Leeds weigh up £20m move for star
Of course, the obvious name that has been generating buzz in West Yorkshire is reported target Igor Paixao.
It’s been very much a will they, won’t they situation at Leeds involving the Feyenoord winger, with it looking nailed on that the Brazilian attacker would call Marseille his new home, only for that move to fall unexpectedly to the wayside.
This might well trigger Leeds back into action to win Paixao after all. Yet, another fresh development could see them go after this alternative face in attack instead.
Indeed, journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that Leeds still admire former loanee Manor Solomon, and that there’s a ‘very good chance’ that the £20m-rated Tottenham Hotspur forward returns to West Yorkshire before the window slams shut.
Paixao’s services could well cost around the £30m mark, meaning the South American would cost the Whites far more than Solomon’s £20m valuation, with a lot of other factors coming to the surface – away from price tags alone – indicating that the 25-year-old might be a better purchase long-term than his in-demand counterpart.
Why Solomon could be a better signing than Paixao
After all, there should be no teething issues on display if Solomon is soon welcomed back to Farke’s camp.
The reserve Spurs attacker, in theory, should be able to slot straight back into Farke’s XI and get back to his rampaging Championship best, knowing the intricacies of all the attacking teammates around him.
In total for Farke’s champions last season, Solomon tallied up a blistering ten goals and 13 assists, with his ability to fire home screamers such as this wonderfully taken effort versus Preston North End matched by his genius to carve a team open with a sumptuous through ball, having created a mammoth 21 big chances along the way.
Solomon’s scintillating form in the taxing division even saw ex-Leeds manager Neil Redfearn wax lyrical about his “unplayable” nature.
Despite such glowing words, Paixao can better Solomon on output alone when glancing at his stunning Eredivisie numbers across the same span, with six more goals managed from his 34 league ties, but he does come up short as a team player when managing to create just 12 big chances.
Shots
3.01
2.09
Shot-creating actions
5.08
5.11
Attempted passes
33.94
39.66
Pass completion %
70.0%
80.6%
Progressive passes
3.17
3.86
Progressive carries
4.32
5.01
Successful take-ons
1.79
2.43
The “explosive” Feyenoord forward – as he’s been labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – might well be the more exciting signing to pursue for Leeds fans, who have already seen what Solomon is capable of, but the table above further reinforces why bringing back the 25-year-old, over landing a fresher Paixao, might be the smarter move.
Indeed, across the last year – when looking at FBref – Solomon betters the Brazilian in many different areas of their respective attacking games, with Solomon trumping his counterpart when it comes to shot-creating actions and passes averaged per 90 minutes, on top of also winning the battle in terms of more progressive passes and successful take-ons being averaged.
Away from Solomon’s strengths up against Paixao, the 25-year-old is also more well-versed in what the Premier League demands, having already collected a promising six-goal contributions in the difficult division.
There is no guarantee, on the other hand, that Paixao leaves his Eredivisie bubble behind and becomes an instant success in England, with a reunion deal for the ex-Whites number 14 to return to West Yorkshire looking more and more like a worthwhile move that needs to happen.
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1 ByDan Emery
