BBC journalist Jonny Buchan urges Leeds United to reconsider January transfer stance
BBC journalist Jonny Buchan insists Leeds United have a “major issue” in the full-back areas and cannot really afford to let Luke Ayling or Junior Firpo leave.
Ayling cut an emotional figure at full-time of Leeds’ 3-0 FA Cup win at Peterborough United on Sunday (7 January) amid suggestions he could be off to Middlesbrough.
Firpo has also been touted with an Elland Road exit, with Dean Jones reporting via GiveMeSport [31 December] that there is “growing hope” the former Barcelona ace will be moved on in January.
“You can’t just cast off Firpo because there is literally no left-back at the football club,” he said on BBC’s Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet podcast [8 January, 11m 55s].
“At the minute there’s one right-back, Luke Ayling, who might have gone by the time people listen to this. Full-back is a major issue at the minute on both sides.”
Buchan added: “I just think that, with the full-back situation, I don’t know if they can let Ayling go.”
Defensive reconstruction
Leeds are blessed with a deep squad by Championship standards, but they will indeed look very light in the full-back zones if one of Ayling or Firpo leave, never mind both of them.
Indeed, the defence in general will likely need some reconstruction at the end of the campaign.
Djed Spence’s season-long loan from Tottenham was surprisingly cut short last week, while Joe Rodon will also likely return to Tottenham in May.
Pascal Struijk and Charlie Cresswell have been linked with a move away, meanwhile, while Liam Cooper is out of contract and Sam Byram has had injury problems.
That is an issue for then rather than now, but a new full-back may well be needed in January if Ayling does indeed depart.
The unexpected good news is just how well Archie Gray has performed as a regular at right-back, but he is at risk of being overused there.
It may well be that neither Ayling nor Firpo move on, but it is certainly a decision Leeds have to be careful with.
In other Leeds United news, Adam Pope was left staggered by something “dreadful” he saw in the Whites’ win at Peterborough.