A title-winner stuck in limbo

Manor Solomon walked off the Elland Road pitch in May as a champion, a winger who took games by the scruff of the neck and swung the title race Leeds United’s way. He played 41 times in all competitions, posted 10 goals and 13 assists, and sealed the crown with a title-clinching strike against Plymouth Argyle that will live in highlight reels for years. That return — and the connection he built with the crowd — made a permanent deal feel like a formality.

It hasn’t been. A month of zig-zags has turned a straightforward reunion into one of the summer’s slowest transfer stories. The reasons stack up: Tottenham’s internal planning, an untimely injury and rehab schedule, Leeds recalibrating their targets after promotion, and the quiet but real threat of competition from abroad. Add the usual end-of-window pressure, and you get a saga that keeps looping back to the same question: will he wear white again in Yorkshire?

Start with the timeline. Early in the summer, the word around Tottenham was that Solomon would be assessed for a role under Thomas Frank. The new boss publicly kept the door open, talking about every player having a part to play, which read as: no rash exits before he’s seen in training. Then came the wrinkle. An injury, followed by a careful return to full sessions, slowed everything down. Clubs want medical clarity and full data on acceleration, repeat sprints, and contact load after a layoff. Without that, negotiations drift.

As July turned into August, Tottenham’s stance softened. The sense from their side was pragmatic: if regular minutes in North London weren’t on the table right away, a sale or a structured deal could suit everyone. That flicked the green light back toward Leeds. But by then, Leeds had also widened the lens. Promotion forces hard choices. They looked at the market, ran the numbers on wages, amortisation, and squad balance, and explored different profiles — including AC Milan’s Noah Okafor, a more direct forward who can play across the front line.

Roma changed the temperature again. The Serie A club have tracked options on the flanks and, should Leeds hesitate, would consider stepping in. That kind of interest matters. It nudges Tottenham’s valuation and pushes Leeds to decide whether to commit, pivot, or walk away. It also gives the player a different path: top-five league, European ambitions, and a style that prizes quick transitions and combination play.

So here we are: another week, another check-in, and nothing signed. It isn’t indecision for the sake of it. It’s a jigsaw with a lot of pieces that need to fit at once.

What’s actually holding it up — and what happens next

Injury recovery sits at the top of the list. Clubs don’t just want a clean medical; they want trending data that shows durability week to week. If a selling club knows the player’s match exposure needs to be managed through the autumn, they’ll push for protection: appearance-related add-ons, conditional bonuses, even clauses that adjust payments if he misses a long stretch. That takes time to negotiate, and it usually goes back and forth with club doctors involved.

Tottenham’s squad planning is the next lever. They’ve reshaped their attack, but they still need cover for wide roles during a long season. If another winger moves late in the window, Solomon’s status can change in a day. Conversely, if the depth chart holds and minutes look scarce, a sale becomes more logical. Clubs rarely lock themselves in until they’ve seen three variables: preseason form, injury luck, and the late market for outgoings.

Then there’s Leeds’ budget strategy. Promotion doesn’t mean a blank cheque. The club have been careful with wage structure and up-front fees since returning to the top flight. They’ve looked at different deal shapes: an initial loan with an obligation, a permanent transfer spread across several years, sell-on percentages to sweeten the price, and performance bonuses tied to survival or European qualification. Each version has ripple effects. Tie up too much now, and you limit moves for a striker or a defensive midfielder. Wait too long, and you miss a player your manager knows how to use.

Leeds also need the right fit, not just the right name. Under Daniel Farke, the wide players aren’t chalk-on-boots crossers. They drive inside, combine with the No. 10, and attack the half-spaces while the full-back overlaps. That’s exactly where Solomon thrived last season — pulling markers, slipping clever passes into runners, and timing back-post arrivals. His numbers tell the story: double-figure goals, double-figure assists, and countless sequences where he turned pressure into territory with a touch and a burst.

Okafor, if Leeds press on with that route, offers something different: more vertical pace, more central threat, and the ability to stretch a back line from the inside channel. That changes how you build the rest of the attack. It might mean your other winger becomes a natural creator, or your No. 9 shifts into a wall-pass role. So when you hear that Leeds are weighing Solomon against other profiles, it isn’t a straight like-for-like. It’s a choice about the entire front four.

Roma’s interest adds another twist. Italian clubs tend to prefer structured deals with creative add-ons and sell-on clauses, which can be attractive if Tottenham want to protect future upside. For the player, Serie A offers a different rhythm — tight mid-blocks, lots of tactical detail, and room for sharp dribblers to decide games in moments. If Roma push, it could force Leeds to either match the structure or walk away before the deadline traps them.

One more layer: perception. Inside a training ground, people look past headlines and ask simple questions: who actually helps us win on Saturday? In Leeds’ case, the staff already know the answer with Solomon because they’ve seen it. He linked well with overlapping full-backs, read the timing of cut-backs, and handled the grind of two games a week in a promotion chase. That familiarity carries weight when every buy is a bet on chemistry.

Of course, familiarity doesn’t erase risk. The injury needs to be behind him. The Premier League is faster, centers close quicker, and contact is heavier. Leeds will want assurances that his acceleration — that first three steps he uses to glide past a full-back — is fully back. That’s not about one fitness test; it’s about a couple of weeks of clean training data and a medical sign-off that gives the recruitment team confidence to push the button.

If a deal does happen, expect a modern structure. A permanent move with staged payments is the cleanest route, but loans with options or obligations have become standard when there’s recent injury history. Tottenham would likely push for a sell-on to protect against a breakout season. Leeds would try to keep the base fee sensible and load the upside into bonuses tied to appearances, goals, and league position. These are not sticking points as much as they are the normal choreography of a late-window transfer.

Where does this leave Tottenham? With choices. Keep Solomon, and he becomes a rotational piece who can change games off the bench and start cup ties while he builds rhythm. Cash in now, and they free up salary space and a squad slot for another addition. Green-lighting talks with Leeds suggests they’re open to the latter, but Premier League clubs hedge until paperwork is on the table. One injury elsewhere can flip the plan.

Where does this leave Leeds? With a decision about certainty. They know exactly what they get with Solomon: ball security, end product, and a player who lifts the crowd. Going for Okafor or another profile would tilt the attack toward more straight-line pace and goals from deeper starting positions. Neither is wrong; they just lead to different versions of the same team.

And the player? He’s earned the right to pick a project that gives him minutes and momentum. Last season proved he can carry responsibility across a long campaign. The next step is locking in a home where he plays every week and builds on that form at Premier League speed. That’s why the final days matter. The wrong choice means cameos; the right one means a platform.

If you’re looking for signposts in the coming days, watch for three things. First, medical movement: when club doctors are happy, deals tend to accelerate. Second, Tottenham’s outgoing business on the wings: any late sale there and they’ll be far less flexible. Third, Leeds’ parallel talks: if the Okafor track — or any other wide-forward deal — gets close, it strengthens their hand but also narrows the window to revive the Solomon move.

Some practicalities can still nudge timing. Image rights and commercial approvals take a day or two. Premier League registration deadlines are strict, and international commitments can interrupt schedules. Even small delays — a scan, a legal review, a flight slot — can push a move into the final 48 hours. None of that is unusual; it’s just how the late window breathes.

For Leeds supporters, the emotional pull is clear. Solomon wasn’t just productive; he was the tone-setter in tight games, the player who made Elland Road lean forward. For Tottenham, the call is colder: minutes, value, and squad balance. For Roma, it’s opportunism and fit. Those three incentives rarely align perfectly, which is why this has taken weeks instead of days.

The clock is back on. Leeds have a player they trust and a shortlist that reflects the demands of a higher league. Tottenham have a winger who can help now or raise funds. Roma wait to see if the door opens. The finishing line is close, but every late-window story is decided the same way: medicals cleared, terms agreed, pen to paper. Until then, the winger who won a title in Yorkshire is still in limbo — wanted, valued, but not yet home.