Leeds United will need to bolster their squad to give themselves a fighting chance of avoiding an instant relegation from the Premier League next season.
One area of the pitch in which the Whites are set to strengthen is their attack, after Football Insider reported that the club have doubts over Joel Piroe’s suitability for the top-flight.
The Dutch forward, who scored four goals in one half against Stoke City last month, won the Golden Boot with 19 goals in 46 matches in the Championship, but may not have the physicality for the Premier League.
Piroe lost a whopping 73% of his duels with opposition defenders in the second tier, which does not suggest that he would fare particularly well out of possession against top-flight centre-backs.
It was recently reported that the 49ers are eyeing up a summer swoop for Everton centre-forward Beto to bolster their options in the number nine position, which means that the Premier League attacker could take Piroe’s place in the starting XI next season.
Why Beto could be a good signing for Leeds
The Portugal international could be an excellent addition to the squad as an upgrade on the Dutch marksman because he has the technical and finishing qualities to be an effective top-flight performer, whilst also having the physical attributes to thrive at that level.
Of course, Beto is currently playing in the Premier League with Everton, which means that Leeds would be signing a player who has already been there and done it in the division, whilst Piroe is yet to play a top-flight game in his career.
The Toffees marksman is particularly impressive out of possession in comparison to the current Leeds forward, as evidenced by his physical data in the 2024/25 campaign to date.
Appearances
28
46
Ground duels won per game
1.8
1.0
Ground duel success rate
38%
33%
Aerial duels won per game
3.1
0.7
Aerial duel success rate
48%
21%
As you can see in the table above, Beto wins far more duels per game, and with a greater success rate, particularly in the air, which shows that he is significantly more reliable for his team out of possession.
This suggests that the Everton forward would be far more suited to a team battling against relegation, fighting against the odds, week-in-week-out, than Piroe, who was too weak in the Championship, would be.
Beto is not just a physical presence, though, as he has also scored eight goals from 6.63 xG in 13 starts in the Premier League, which shows that he has been an effective and clinical finisher who could provide a reliable option in the final third for Daniel Farke next season.
The Everton striker is not the only attacking addition who could come through the doors at Elland Road, though, as there has been an update on Manor Solomon’s situation.
The latest news on Manor Solomon
According to a fresh report from TEAMtalk, the Tottenham Hotspur attacker is open to holding talks with Leeds United over a permanent move to the club in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Israel international would like to speak with the Whites over another transfer to West Yorkshire because he ‘loved’ his time on loan in the 2024/25 campaign.
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This update from TEAMtalk came as a reaction to a report from Sky Sports Switzerland last week that claimed Marseille are interested in signing the winger from Spurs. That outlet added, at the time, that it would take a fee of roughly £17m to sign the forward from the Premier League side.
TEAMtalk’s latest update states that Solomon would still be keen on talks with Leeds over another move to the club, despite the reported interest from the Ligue 1 giants, which should come as good news to Farke and his staff.
Leeds must, now, press ahead with a swoop for the Spurs loanee because he could be the perfect winger to provide Beto with the service he needs, should the Whites also land a deal for the Everton marksman.
Why Solomon would be perfect for Beto
The Portuguese striker has scored two headed goals, five right-footed goals, and one with his left foot, which shows that the forward is more than capable in the air and can score a variety of goals.
Solomon could be the perfect winger for the striker because he has the ability to consistently create high-quality chances for his teammates, and can create different types of chances, from crosses, passes, and through balls.
The Spurs loanee was a superstar in the Championship for the majority of his time on loan at Elland Road, and his quality was pointed out by a former Leeds boss fairly quickly.
Early on in the 2024/25 campaign, Neil Redfearn hailed the winger’s ability, saying: “He’s got a quality that is better than this level, you can obviously see that. Initially in the first 20 minutes it was like tackling smoke. He was unplayable at times.”
Appearances
39
xG
8.15
Goals
10
Key passes per game
1.7
Big chances created
21
Assists
12
As you can see in the table above, Solomon backed up that praise by ending the season with a staggering haul of 31 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 39 appearances in the league for Leeds.
A return of 21 ‘big chances’ created in 39 matches speaks to his ability to consistently unlock opposition defences in different ways, as they were unable to stop him because of the variation in his game.
As you can see in the highlights above, the £17m-rated whiz has the ability to burst down the line to deliver teasing crosses into the box, which could be perfect for a physical forward who looks to get ahead of defenders to bundle the ball in, as he brilliantly assisted Mateo Joseph’s strike.
This suggests that Solomon would be a dream for Beto because he has the quality to ensure that the striker constantly has service in the box, giving him plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net in the Premier League.
Therefore, the 49ers must push to get deals over the line for the Spurs and Everton attackers in the upcoming summer transfer window, in order to give Farke and his team the best possible chance of avoiding an instant relegation back down to the Championship.
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