The longer the transfer window goes on, the more likely it appears that Junior Firpo will be leaving Leeds United this summer. Reports emerged earlier this month, just a few days after Leeds’ Premier League relegation was confirmed, of Firpo’s desire to sample a new experience in football and the talk has continued throughout the month.
Real Betis have been linked before but Marseille are the latest to be credited with an interest in the Dominican-born full-back. The French side haven’t made their move yet, but they are said to be keeping tabs on Firpo’s situation at Elland Road, where he has spent the last couple of years.
The left-back arrived with a healthy reputation, having spent two seasons deputising for Jordi Alba at Barcelona and it was hoped that he would be able to solve what was threatening to become a problem position for the Whites at the time. It’s fair to say, though, that Firpo can be considered a flop after failing to find form and make a home for himself in West Yorkshire.
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The 26-year-old struggled to find continuity during his first season with the Whites, with injuries robbing him of the ability to string more than a handful of appearances together. His struggles carried over into his second campaign, too, missing the start with a muscle issue before struggling to find a way into the side.
He did find some joy under the stewardship of Javi Gracia, but it was ultimately short-lived as Leeds began to tailspin towards Premier League relegation. As such, as United began to count the cost of losing their top flight status, Firpo was always going to be one man many expected to leave the club, along a number of other players signed in recent years.
There’s still so much uncertainty, but that seemingly remains the case as Leeds prepare to return to Thorp Arch to begin pre-season training at the start of July. How Leeds and the club’s soon-to-be new owners 49ers Enterprises move on from the former Spain Under-21 international, then, could be key and left-back surely has to be one of the positions close to the top of the Whites’ list of priorities when it comes to recruitment.
In truth, it’s been a position Leeds have failed to get right since the departure of Charlie Taylor in July 2017. Plenty have come and gone in recent years, Barry Douglas, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Laurens De Bock to name but a few, but none have managed to find consistent success over an extended period in the role.
As such, it seems there’s a chance to be seized by 49ers Enterprises in the transfer market as they look to draw a line under what has gone before and start afresh. The left-back position has been a perennial weakness that simply has not been effectively addressed in recent years, plugging it with an established and talented option looks a no-brainer.
The new owners are expected to have money to spend and left-back looks an obvious area of improvement to use some of it on.
