Leeds United ‘must think twice’ after major Firpo replacement news
Junior Firpo looks bound to leave Leeds United this summer when his contract expires.
The left-back was a crucial member of Daniel Farke’s squad as they lifted the Championship title.
As a result, Firpo was named in the Championship Team of the Season for his incredible performances.
However, with the 28-year-old’s contract up in the summer, it looks unlikely that he will stay on for the upcoming Premier League campaign.
Therefore, a replacement is needed at Leeds if they have any hope of surviving the drop.
Reinildo set to flop at Leeds as Farke eyes Firpo replacement
With Firpo being eyed by Lazio, Farke has begun searching for a replacement at left-back.
As a result, Leeds are now battling to sign Reinildo as his contract at Atletico Madrid expires.
The full-back has achieved success in his career, and ended PSG’s years of dominance in Ligue 1 in 2021 when he won the title with Lille.
However, it would be a grave mistake for Leeds to make a move for the 31-year-old as Reinildo is considerably worse than Firpo in almost every area.
According to FBref, the Mozambique international has only averaged 2.13 tackles, 0.89 aerial battles won and 2.82 clearances per 90 minutes.
In attack he offers next to nothing, with the full-back averaging 0.07 shots, zero assists, 0.55 shot-creating actions and 0.01 expected assists per game.
While many of Reinildo’s appearances were from the bench last season, he still played 1,308 minutes over the past 365 days, which has resulted in these poor statistics.
| Average Statistic per 90 minutes | Reinildo | Junior Firpo |
| Tackles | 2.13 | 2.27 |
| Aerial battles won | 0.89 | 2.10 |
| Clearances | 2.82 | 3.51 |
| Shots | 0.07 | 0.96 |
| Assists | 0.00 | 0.34 |
| Expected assists | 0.01 | 0.23 |
| Shot-creating chances | 0.55 | 3.30 |
In comparison, Firpo is better than his potential replacement in every area mentioned.
Therefore, it would be a considerable downgrade if Leeds were to target the defender to be a replacement for the outgoing Peacocks star.
In light of this, Farke must think twice about signing the full-back in the upcoming transfer window.
Leeds must sign players who are upgrades on their current starting XI
If Leeds are to survive the Premier League drop, they must go for proven quality players.
Farke simply cannot afford to go for rejects like Reinildo, who are clearly not good enough or it could cost him his job.
While quality players are likely to be expensive, it is a risk worth taking as the rewards of staying in the Premier League far outweigh the costs.
Hopefully, Farke and Paraag Marathe see this and ensure that big improvements are made to their squad.