Manor Solomon’s stellar season at Leeds United has not only earned the Tottenham Hotspur loanee a place in the hearts of the Elland Road faithful, it has also come as a massive relief to his backers back home.
In the last two seasons before this one – at Fulham and Spurs respectively – the winger had started a grand total of six Premier League matches.
And as recently as 2023, according to his agent, Manor Solomon was on the radars of an ambitious Aston Villa outfit, plus an a RB Leipzig side who identified the then-Shakhtar Donetsk winger as a replacement for the Chelsea-bound Christopher Nkunku.
In the 12 months after that, silence.
No wonder Leeds’ decision to bring Solomon in was labelled ‘a gamble’, regardless of his obvious talent.
And when Solomon dropped down a division in an attempt to jump-start his injury-stalled career, it wasn’t just the Leeds United fans who were desperate to see the posterboy of the Israel national team rediscover the confidence and the sharpness which underpinned those Champions League goals against Atalanta, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Manor Solomon enjoys ‘best season of his career’ at Leeds United
True, Oxford United, Swansea City and Preston North End are no Real Madrid.
But, five years after Shakhtar did the double over the reigning European champions thanks to a pair of Solomon goals both home and away against Los Blancos, the feeling back home is that Tottenham’s £15 million-rated forgotten man is finally back on the right track after a couple of seasons rusting in the garage.
This is, Sport 5 say, the ‘best season of his career’. Numerically – nine goals and 11 assists – but also performance-wise.
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It is easy to forget just how much pressure Solomon was under when he was handpicked to replace the 2024 Championship Player of the Year Crysencio Summerville at Elland Road.
But while Solomon might not have come close to matching Summerville’s tally of 21 goals, it is no coincidence that his arrival has coincided with vastly-improved performances from Junior Firpo, Dan James and Joel Piroe.
A far more collaborative performer in comparison to the greedier, goal-hungry Summerville, Solomon has brought a supreme sense of intelligence and guile to a far-more functional frontline.
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Sport 5 believe that the 2025 version of Manor Solomon may even be the best yet. Better than the one who inspired a 3-2 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu. Better than the one RB Leipzig identified following the £52 million departure of talisman Nkunku.
“[Solomon is] becoming a much more complete player. A player who not only thinks about dribbling, but also picks up [possession], passes inside, plays long balls and shoots from close range,” Sport 5 write.
“The April 2025 version of Manor Solomon is the best Manor Solomon.
“After three years out of football, after wandering around on loan at Fulham and now Leeds, he looks more complete and was one of the best players in the Championship.
“On a mental level, by the way, it looks significantly better. Solomon is the most talked-about [Israeli footballer] this season. He is also one of Leeds’ biggest stars.”
While the £15 million fee Tottenham want will eat up a sizeable portion of the summer budget, the feeling around Solomon is that he has done more than enough to justify a leading role in their Daniel Farke’s Premier League cast.
“Solomon should continue at Leeds United,” Sport 5 conclude. “This story feels too good, and too short, to end like this.”