Leeds United was only a few injuries away from having a selection headache, even during their Championship-winning season under Marcelo Bielsa in 2019–20. Tyler Roberts consistently flattered to deceive, and Helder Costa failed to live up to his high price tag, leaving the Yorkshire giants dependent on players like the mysterious Gianni Alioski and an inconsistent Jack Harrison.
It’s tempting to wonder what kind of song Bielsa would have received from a formidable array of attacking weapons, such as Manor Solomon, Dan James, Willy Gnonto, and Largie Ramazani. Farke himself said that Solomon and James were “unplayable” as Leeds crushed Watford 4-0 on Tuesday night, and both Gnonto and Ramazani have contributed well off the bench. Therefore, while the storyline surrounding Manuel Benson at Burnley may be that he is paying the price for not being able to leave Turf Moor last summer, a move to Elland Road would not have been a guarantee of better opportunities.
Leeds United wanted to sign Burnley benchwarmer Manuel Benson
Although he wasn’t a direct replacement for Crysencio Summerville or Georginio Rutter—the former played on the left, while the latter played at “ten”—Manuel Benson, a Belgium-born Angolan international, scored 11 goals, some of which were pretty special goals, as Vincent Kompany’s Burnley won the Championship in 2023. However, 18 months later, he hasn’t even come close to matching those stats again, starting just one league game since the start of 2023–24. Company’s replacement, Scott Parker, has included Benson in his XI once since taking over, and that came in the FA Cup win over Southampton last weekend.
Benson’s output in the Championship has been limited to a mere ten minutes, largely due to a long-standing achilles tendon injury. He was left on the bench in each of the last three outings. And while the seldom-seen 27-year-old may be creeping back towards full fitness, that does not guarantee him a place in Parker’s team. It is no secret that Burnley were planning to sell the former Royal Antwerp man last summer, leaving him out of an August defeat to Sunderland in preparation for a likely departure.
Scott Parker planned to sell the Leeds-linked forward in 2024
I decided it was probably best that [Benson and the other exit-linked players] were not involved,” Parker said at the time. “No doubt players will be leaving.”
Why Benson did not say his goodbyes, in the end, may have something to do with Leeds themselves.
Burnley will have had reservations about selling to a direct title rival. A decision justified with both teams making up two-thirds of the Championship’s top three right now.
And, in truth, it is hard to imagine Benson ousting the relentless James and nailing down a starting role in his favourite right-wing position in West Yorkshire. Leeds’ likely return to the Premier League – touch wood – also means Farke and co will be pursuing a higher class of player in the summer.
What the future holds for Benson, then, is anyone’s guess.
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