Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo is out of contract at the end of this month and could leave the club after four seasons.
Despite Leeds United announcing contract negotiations were taking place with Junior Firpo, there has been a sense of inevitability that his stint in West Yorkshire is coming to an end.
Firpo’s Leeds future appears to be getting clearer by the day, while Barcelona could be a potential destination for Firpo as he weighs up his options.
In recent days, it was revealed that Lyon have offered Firpo a contract as well, but him remaining with Leeds has not been ruled out yet, either.
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty ImagesLeeds eye quick resolution with Junior Firpo as stumbling block emerges
Following the aftermath of an incredible title parade, Firpo sent a message to Paraag Marathe regarding a new contract. Nothing materialised but a decision must be made on his future soon.
Like many others, Firpo has enjoyed time off on holiday and away from Leeds. The left-back has been with his family in Japan where Firpo has been spotted in an Ao Tanaka shirt.
It’s got to the point where some Leeds fans want Firpo gone after becoming tired of the transfer saga but other Leeds fans are not pleased with the latest Firpo news regarding Lyon.
Graham Smyth of The Yorkshire Evening Post has detailed the latest on Firpo. He states that the club have “put the ball in Junior Firpo’s court when it comes to his Elland Road future” but also that there is no progress on an agreement yet.
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“The YEP understands an offer was tabled with terms that would represent an uplift on what he earned as a Championship player following the 2023 relegation but a reduction on the wage he enjoyed when he first arrived from Camp Nou in 2021.”
Firpo elected to stay for two promotion battles where others made use of exit clauses of some description via loans or release clauses. Firpo could have made use of that after a wage reduction following relegation but fought to get Leeds back up.
However, Smyth’s report adds that another barrier potentially standing in the way of him remaining is the length of contract he could be offered by other clubs. Firpo turns 29 this summer but Smyth revealed that Leeds are not expected to commit to another four-year deal.
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesLeeds United’s major Junior Firpo problem
The reality is that the Dominican Republic international defender’s Leeds career is uncertain and it has been for a while ever since Firpo’s agents said staying with Leeds was ‘unlikely’.
Leeds need a more defensive-minded left-back option. Or, at the very least, someone who is competent both ways. Firpo was a liability as a defender in the Premier League, even if he showed promise in possession and the final third.
It remains to be seen who Leeds will acquire but a younger, less injury-prone, and all-round full-back ought to be the target for that flank. Firpo doesn’t tick enough of those boxes to be a starter.
Would he be happy to hold a squad player role at Leeds? Where he would not necessarily always be brought on as a substitute, let alone start games often? It’s definitely unlikely.
In that sense, a parting of ways could be perfectly timed. It allows Firpo to depart after two outstanding seasons with the club and head for a new adventure.