It’s safe to say Leeds United’s new recruits have got some pretty big boots to fill.
Not only have the Yorkshire giants lost their top scorer and the reigning Championship Player of the Year Crysencio Summerville – labelled irreplaceable by coach Daniel Farke – Leeds are also now mourning the departure of their creative lynchpin Georginio Rutter.
Between them, Summerville and Rutter scored or assisted 55 goals for the beaten play-off finalists last season.
If Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon can get anywhere near those numbers, then the summer could still be viewed as something of a success. But that is a lot to ask.
Ramazani, a £10 million signing from Almeria, brings ‘very good qualities’ but has never scored anywhere near as many goals in a single season as Summerville did.
The silky Solomon, meanwhile, had some bright moments at Fulham but barely kicked a ball during his injury-hit spell at Tottenham Hotspur.
Leeds United linked with Hammarby striker Jusef Erabi
Reports linking Leeds with an £8.5 million swoop for Hammarby attacker Jusef Erabi, meanwhile, are being laughed off in the 21-year-old’s homeland of Sweden.
It’s never a particularly good sign when one of your alleged transfer targets is being mocked so openly by the local media.
And for former Sweden forward Tobias Hysen, a fitting value for Erabi would not be £8.5 million but eight and a half million krone. Or, for the sake of clarity, around £600,000.
“Euros or…?” Hysen laughs when informed of Erabi’s reported transfer value, speaking on the Ljugarbanken podcast.
“If someone comes along and gives Hammarby 115 million for Erabi, then I’ll go to Arsta myself and pull (sporting director Mikael) Hjelmberg’s ear if he doesn’t say yes right away!”
Hjelmberg, for what it’s worth, is keen to play down those Erabi to Elland Road links.
In quotes reported by Fotboll Sthlm, the Hammarby chief insists that he hasn’t heard even a ‘peep’ about Leeds’ interest, while also playing down suggestions that highly-rated teenage midfielder Bazoumana Toure could join Scottish champions Celtic.
Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon in at Elland Road
Erabi’s record at Hammarby reads 12 goals in 45 Allsvenskan games. That is not exactly a tally that has the hairs standing up on end, even if the Sweden Under 21 international is still a young player with a lot to learn and potential still very much untapped.
Both Ramazani and Solomon, meanwhile, will hope to make their Leeds bows during Saturday’s clash with Hull City.
The latter is just pleased to be away from Spurs, having slipped even further down the pecking order after Wilson Odobert arrived in a £30 million deal from Burnley.
“I am really happy to be here,” former Shakhtar Donetsk wideman Solomon tells the Leeds website. “I’ve heard a lot about the club, about its fans, about the heritage, the history. I know it’s a massive club in England and I’m looking forward to seeing the fans and to meet them all.
“As soon as the interest from Leeds came, I started to look for the players, for the coach. I’ve spoken with the manager and (Farke) explained to me about the style of playing, about the players that there are in Leeds.
“I know there is a group of great lads, young people with great desire, with great techniques. I’m looking forward to playing with them and to help them in the best way I can.
“I just want to get going.”
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