After months of uncertainty, it looks like Junior Firpo’s Leeds United future has finally reached a conclusion.
Junior Firpo was one of Leeds United’s best players in the second half of last season. His four goals and 10 assists across the campaign played a huge part in the club’s eventual promotion, but his contract expiry was a cause for concern throughout.
Daniel Farke often refused to speak on the matter, though soon after the end of the season it was reported that Leeds United offered Firpo a new contract to stay at Elland Road, thought to be a very lucrative deal too.
Firpo appeared reluctant to re-sign with the Whites, instead seeming to prefer a return to Real Betis. And that’s exactly what’s come about now. Fabrizio Romano revealed on Thursday that Firpo has signed a three-year deal with Real Betis, ending the saga for good.
Here we look at the winners and losers over the whole Firpo saga at Leeds United…
Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThe winners after Junior Firpo’s Leeds United saga comes to an endKostas Tsimikas
Farke has been linked with several left-backs during the whole Firpo saga, one being Kostas Tsimikas; who of all the left-backs linked with Leeds United seems like the one most nailed on to leave his current club.
Leeds United are keen to sign the £15million-rated Tsimikas from Liverpool where he’s been told he can leave. Now, Leeds and Tsimikas could gather speed with Firpo out of the picture, and no seemingly pressing links to any other left-backs.
Others mentioned in the last few days include Alex Moreno at Aston Villa, and Reinildo Mandava at Atletico Madrid, though neither player seems as though they’re close to moving anywhere right now.
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The Leeds United fans
Controversial perhaps, but Leeds United fans have had mixed feelings about Firpo all along. Whilst he performed well last season, his performances in the Premier League left a lot to be desired.
The bulk of Leeds fans on social media often voiced their concerns about handing a new deal to the 28-year-old Firpo given his previous Premier League showing, and given the fact that he’d likely be on a huge amount of money each week too.
Photo by Pat Scaasi| MB Media/Getty ImagesThe Leeds United losers as Junior Firpo agrees Real Betis dealDaniel Farke
The Leeds United squad is looking alarmingly thin, especially in the full-back department. It was clear that Farke wanted to keep Firpo at the club, given the fact that the club offered him a new deal, so losing him is a blow.
And to lose Firpo in this manner will be devastating too. It’s clear that Firpo fished around for the best deal, which he of course has every right to do, but it arguably shows a lack of loyalty to a club that’s given a lot to him over the last few years.
The 49ers
Like Farke, the 49ers will suffer a blow when Firpo leaves, as they’ll now have to go out and spend good money on signing a whole new left-back, or maybe even a couple of them.
Re-signing Firpo would’ve been a cost-effective option for the club. Now though, Leeds United may have to spend big on Moreno with plenty of clubs joining the race for his signature, or even Mandava who was a target for Man United last summer.
It’s reported that Leeds United have a £150million transfer budget this summer, though, so there’s certainly money to be spent on some new full-backs.