If Leeds United were to get over the line and finally return back to the Premier League, Daniel Farke’s current squad would be considered heroes in a split second.
The Whites have experienced a lot of painful Championship promotion near-misses over the years, with the German somehow not getting the West Yorkshire outfit up last season, despite the fact both Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter tore the division to shreds at points.
Farke isn’t the only manager in Leeds’ recent tainted history that has had to be patient and go again, however, with the revered Marcelo Bielsa even slipping up during the 2018/19 season when Frank Lampard’s Derby County piled on some weighty playoff misery.
The South American would then eventually guide the Whites to a triumphant top-flight return, helped by the fact Pablo Hernandez was dazzling second-tier defences week in week out under his guidance.
Pablo Hernandez's heroics at Leeds
There are many names that instantly come to mind when thinking of modern-day greats at Elland Road, with the aforementioned faces of Summerville and Rutter right up there given their mesmerising numbers last term.
But, moving back to Bielsa’s celebrated reign, Hernandez is perhaps the greatest figure still loved to this day for the heroics he pulled off in West Yorkshire.
The captivating number 19 would only initially join the ranks on a loan deal in 2016, but after being a bright spark during some dire times pre-Bielsa, Leeds would go out of their way to snap up the ex-Valencia wizard permanently.
This was, of course, an inspired move, with Hernandez going on to pick up 36 goals and 41 assists from 175 total contests, with his consistent excellence culminating in Leeds lifting the Championship title at the close of the 2019/20 campaign.
Once heralded as a “complete player from every point of view” by Bielsa, anyone attempting to follow in his footsteps would find it to be an extremely tricky endeavour.
Yet, if Farke can tie up a permanent deal for an exceptional loan star soon, he could well unearth his own version of the spellbinding Spaniard.
Leeds' new Pablo Hernandez
Nobody would have anticipated that Hernandez was going to leave such a long-lasting legacy in West Yorkshire when he first arrived on loan from Al-Arabi.
Yet, he managed to quickly become a fan’s favourite by consistently delivering classy displays in the second tier, much like another loanee in Manor Solomon is doing right now for Farke’s promotion-chasing troops.
Solomon is up to seven goals and eight assists now for Leeds from 33 games since finalising a temporary move from Tottenham Hotspur, leaving many already wondering whether the Whites could land the full-throttle forward permanently when the tense season is over and done with.
Reports are suggesting that Leeds could land the unpredictable left winger – who can play down the right or as a number ten much like Hernandez – for around the £20m mark, but they aren’t alone in their interest with Everton from the league above also allegedly sniffing about.
1. Joel Piroe
38
15
6
2. Daniel James
32
10
9
3. Manor Solomon
31
7
7
4. Junior Firpo
25
3
9
5. Brenden Aaronson
38
8
2
Solomon’s 14 combined goals and assists in Championship action is way off eclipsing Hernandez’s insane haul of 24 during Leeds’ title-winning season back in 2019, but the “unplayable” ace – as he has been labelled by ex-Leeds boss Neil Redfearn – could be remembered in the same breath as the now retired attacker if he stays put at Elland Road.
The 5 foot 7 menace might well struggle to get first-team minutes back at Spurs when he does return too, and as Hernandez soon found out among many other memorable Whites icons, Leeds fans love cherishing entertaining individuals like Solomon.
Cost £3.8m, now worth 1215% more: Leeds have struck gold on "electric" ace
Leeds United have certainly hit the jackpot with this excellent ace.
ByKelan Sarson