Junior Firpo has suffered another setback in his Leeds United career after Jesse Marsch confirmed he could be out for eight weeks. The left-back suffered a knock in Thursday’s friendly against Blackpool and although the exact injury in unknown, the prognosis is concerning.
The 25-year-old did not join the squad on Sunday’s flight to Australia and will remain in West Yorkshire to make a start on his rehabilitation. He could miss up to six Premier League games if the eight-week timescale remains true, including home games against Chelsea and Everton.
Firpo’s injury has further highlighted a weak point in Marsch’s squad, and while incomings have been both often and of high quality, he and sporting director Victor Orta must be looking at left-back. Leif Davis is the only specialist in Australia - having returned from his loan spell at Bournemouth after failing to nail down a regular starting place - while Leo Hjelde and Pascal Struijk have featured at full-back rarely.
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The club have been linked with left-back options this summer, and we’ve had a look back at four potential targets.
Josh Tymon
Stoke City left-back Josh Tymon has reportedly been eyed by Victor Orta after an impressive season with the Potters, scoring once and assisting four in 44 Championship games. The 23-year-old’s attacking power would fit well into Jesse Marsch’s system, while his experience in the Championship would help with a step up into the top-flight.
Rangers are said to be interested in the former Hull City man, with a reported £6million making a deal a potentially low-risk, safe backing. Tymon would be capable of standing-in for Firpo during his injury and then pushing the Whites full-back with some healthy competition.
Sergio Gomez
Leeds were first linked with a move for Anderlecht full-back Sergio Gomez back in March and could return to an old target now Firpo is sidelined. The 21-year-old scored six goals and added 14 assists in 41 games across all competitions last season, and has nine caps for Spain’s under-21s.
Gomez’ age profile fits in with Leeds’ current recruitment, with the average age of the six arrivals at 22.5, while his explosive attacking play fits with Marsch’s demands of a full-back. The ex-Barcelona man could be prized away from the Belgian outfit for £10-15million, but Leeds may face competition from some of Europe’s top clubs for the defender’s signature.
Nicolas Tagliafico
Ajax full back Nicolas Tagliafico has previously been linked with a move to West Yorkshire and is still looking to leave Ajax this summer - potentially opening the door for a bargain. The Argentinian has played 167 times for the Dutch giants, scoring 16 goals and adding 22 assists.
With 40 Argentina caps and several seasons of Champions League football, Tagliafico would provide invaluable experience, and with just one year left on his current deal and clearly wanting out, the 29-year-old could be signed for just £4-5million - although the left-back has plenty of suitors including Chelsea, Brighton and Barcelona.
Charlie Taylor
Burnley left-back Charlie Taylor is yet to be firmly linked with a move to Elland Road but has been backed by several fans as a potential quick fix to a long-standing left-back problem at Leeds. The 28-year-old has Premier League experience and could be the first reliable left-back at Elland Road since he left there in 2017.
As a regular starter for a newly-relegated team, Taylor would likely command a fee slightly higher than all of the above, but would be much less of a risk in coming back into the Premier League.
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