Leeds United transfer news: Club unlikely to stop Junior Firpo from summer exit – Phil Hay
Leeds United will not be stopping Junior Firpo from leaving if they can find a taker for him, claims Phil Hay in his Athletic piece on 1 June.
The left-back has struggled since his move from FC Barcelona, has suffered multiple injuries and has not maintained consistency whenever fit.
He’s also on high wages and if he does end up leaving, Hay expects the club to bring in another left-back to replace him.
He wrote, “His wages are relatively high, his form has rarely caught the eye for more than the odd game here and there and it will be a huge surprise if Leeds don’t recruit at his position. If the club can find a taker, there is very little justification for retaining Firpo and they won’t stand in his way.”
Get him out
Firpo looked like one of Spain’s best left-backs back when he was at Real Betis and sealing his move to FC Barcelona in 2019.
He was called up to the Under-21s side for Spain and the expectation was that a move to Camp Nou would help him cement his spot in the senior side.
However, he did not get too much game time at Barcelona with Jordi Alba being their number one choice so he ended up moving to Elland Road.
It looked like a good signing at the time, but his defensive liabilities became more apparent when he played for a side that was pretty open without the ball.
Even after Marcelo Bielsa, his form did not really pick up, although he did look a better player and that could also be due to him adapting to the Premier League.
However, his high wages may be a hindrance and he must be shipped out as soon as possible for the right price.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay claims that a Whites senior player is now set to leave the club at a discounted fee post relegation and will not be signing a new contract.