Junior Firpo heads to Leeds United exit despite Daniel Farke masterclass amid Phil Hay news
Leeds United had one of the busiest summer transfer windows of any club in English football last year, as they completed a mass exodus of players following relegation from the Premier League.
The likes of Luis Sinisterra, Max Wober, Tyler Adams and many others left Elland Road as 49ers Enterprises and Daniel Farke put their own stamp on the Whites team ahead of their return to the Championship.
However, one player the German was keen to keep in Yorkshire was Junior Fipro with The Athletic’s Phil Hay reporting on Tuesday (12 March) that Farke told the club to keep the Spanish left-back as he viewed him as an important part of his plans for the coming season.
That decision has proven to be a masterclass from the Leeds boss as Firpo has been a revelation at left-back after a slow start to the season, laying on five assits for his teammates in only 11 Championship, including for Patrick Bamford’s goal against Sheffield Wednesday.
The 27-year-old has pushed Sam Byram to a supporting role and nailed down his place in the Whites’ starting XI from now until the end of the season as Farke’s side look to make an immediate return to the Premier League.
Will Leeds United sell Junior Firpo during the summer transfer window at Elland Road?
However, Fipro only has a year left on his current deal with Leeds United and according to Hay, it remains unlikely that the defender will be offered a renewal, therefore the Whites will almost certainly try and sell him this summer.
But this once again shows that Farke has produced a masterclass since arriving at Elland Road as not only has made the 27-year-old a key part of his team, but he has also added to Firpo’s value ahead of the summer transfer window.
After a poor spell in the Premier League last season, the Whites would have struggled to get a reasonable transfer fee for the left-back. Now they are selling one of the best attacking full-backs in England’s second tier.
Hay suggests that any transfer offers for the Dominican international will be well-received this summer and thanks to Farke’s work, those offers will be much higher than they would have been less than 12 months ago.
This season will more than likely be the end of the road for Firpo and Leeds and while his performances this season warrant an extension, he has shown before that he can’t be relied upon week in and week out in the Premier League.
In other Leeds United news, a minor injury ruled Charlie Crew out of a first-team training call-up at Thorp Arch recently
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.