Leeds United have found Manor Solomon’s replacement in £7m ‘proper old-school winger’

The last few years has been a classic case of out with the old and in with the new at Championship table-toppers Leeds United.

Reducing the age of their squad dramatically, and moving on at last from Marcelo Bielsa’s promotion-winning heroes, Leeds United bid a fond farewell to the likes of Luke Ayling and Liam Cooper while saying hello to Jayden Bogle, Ao Tanaka and Manor Solomon.

Whether Leeds’ new generation can ever ascend the same heights as their Elland Road predecessors – a a top-half finish in the Premier League feels a long way off at present – only time will tell. And that is the difficulty when it comes to transitioning from one era to another; The achievements of those who came before often do little to downplay the pressure on those replacing them.

At least, when it comes to the American national team, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino can claim that the changes he plans to make can be justified not by the successes of who came before but their failures.

Diego Luna earns first USA call-up amid Leeds United interest

The USA has long been seen as a nation with untapped potential in the realm of international soccer. They did not get out of the group stage at the 2024 Copa America prior to Pochettino’s appointment, exited the Qatar World Cup with a whimper against the Dutch, and also failed to defend their Gold Cup crown thanks to a shock semi-final defeat by Panama.

So as former PSG, Chelsea and Tottenham coach Pochettino welcomes ten uncapped players into his camp for this month’s friendly clashes with Venezuela and Costa Rica, what an opportunity this is for the likes of Patrick Agyemang, George Campbell and Diego Luna to prove that they can lead a new era as the North American World Cup looms into view.