Leeds United have dropped down to second in the Championship table after Sheffield United picked up a point in their clash with West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
The Whites are now one point behind the Blades and have a superior goal difference to Chris Wilder’s side, which means that they are in a good position to retake the number one spot in the division in the coming weeks.
Burnley’s draw with Middlesbrough on Friday night provided the West Yorkshire outfit with an opportunity to move back into the automatic promotion places, which they took with a 2-0 win over Derby County at Elland Road on Saturday.
Joe Rodon and Max Wober both scored in the first half of the match to secure all three points for the hosts, in a difficult game against a team that came with a clear game plan to frustrate Leeds.
Daniel Farke’s side will be hoping to continue to pick up results like that, even when teams come to frustrate them, so that they can avoid the lottery of the play-offs this time around.
The German head coach could look to dip into the market in the January transfer window to bolster his squad ahead of their push for promotion in the second half of the season, subsequently signing an upgrade on Manor Solomon…
Manor Solomon's performances for Leeds this season
Farke swooped to sign the Israel international on a season-long loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, and the attacker has had a mixed start to life in West Yorkshire.
The former Fulham star was selected to start on the left wing against Derby on Saturday and ended the match with zero shots on target and zero ‘big chances’ created for the Whites.
He has only scored two goals for Leeds and both of those strikes were close range finishes in the dramatic 4-3 win over Swansea at the end of last month.
The 25-year-old forward has, so far, failed to offer a regular threat as either a scorer or a creator of goals for Leeds on the left flank this season.
Since his assist for Mateo Joseph on his debut against Hull, Solomon has registered two goals and zero assists in 11 Championship appearances for the club.
Appearances
12
Goals
2
Big chances created
2
Assists
1
Error led to goal
1
As you can see in the table above, the Spurs loanee has created as many goals for the opposition, with his error that led to a goal against Burnley, as he has for Leeds in the second tier.
Simply, Solomon has not provided regular quality at the top end of the pitch, failing to record a goal or an assist in ten of his 12 league outings, and that is why they could look towards the transfer window to sign a replacement.
Leeds United eyeing MLS starlet
According to the Mirror’s Ryan Taylor, Real Salt Lake forward Diego Luna has emerged as a target for Leeds United ahead of the upcoming transfer window, which officially opens for business next month.
The reporter claims that Farke and his recruitment team are exploring a potential swoop for the American youngster, although he adds that there is ‘nothing to suggest’ that a deal is imminent for the Championship side.
Taylor also reveals that there is competition from other clubs across Europe and this means that the Whites could have to move quickly to secure his services, to avoid another team coming in to beat them to the left winger’s signature.
The article from the Mirror claims that Leeds have been keeping tabs on his development and tracking his performances in the MLS for many months, which shows that this interest has been bubbling away in the background for a long time.
Luna, who won the MLS Young Player of the Year award for 2024, has a contract through to December 2026 and the report states that Real Salt Lake will demand a fee of more than £3m for his services.
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It remains to be seen whether or not Leeds will be able to seal a deal for the impressive young forward in the January transfer window.
Why Leeds should sign Diego Luna
Firstly, the MLS Young Player of the Year is only 21 and this means that he could come in as a talented prospect with the potential to improve and develop over the years to come.
Luna could, therefore, come in to make an instant impact whilst also having the scope to grow in value under Farke’s coaching, whilst also potentially having the ability to develop into a Premier League level player.
The USA international, who was hailed as a “complete” attacker by writer Jon Arnold, also caught the eye with his contributions as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the MLS throughout 2024, which shows that he can already make an impact at first-team level.
Luna, who scored 13 goals in 43 USL Championship games for El Paso, ended the year with nine goals and eight assists in 36 appearances in all competitions for the American side.
Appearances
33
Goals
8
xG
6.67
Big chances created
12
Assists
8
Key passes per game
1.7
As you can see in the table above, the right-footed left winger, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, provided a regular threat as a scorer and a creator.
His return of eight assists from 12 ‘big chances’ suggests that his teammates let him down at times with their wasteful finishing, whilst eight goals from 6.67 xG speaks to his effectiveness in front of goal.
He averaged a goal or a ‘big chance’ created every 1.65 matches in the MLS, whilst Solomon is currently averaging a goal or a ‘big chance’ created every three appearances in the Championship for Leeds.
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Therefore, Luna – who is four years younger than the Spurs loanee – has the potential to come in and be a big upgrade on Solomon by providing more quality as both a goalscorer and a creator from a left wing position in the second half of the season, whuch is why Leeds should sign him.