Leeds United defender Junior Firpo has underperformed this season and made some high-profile errors that contributed to the Whites' plight and subsequent relegation fears and whoever ends up in the dugout at Elland Road could move to try and offload the 26-year-old in the forthcoming transfer window.
What's the latest news involving Junior Firpo?
Journalist Dean Jones has tipped Leeds to try and move Firpo on this summer regardless of what division they end up in next term due to his recent performances while speaking to Football FanCast, stating: "His errors have been high profile and costly and when the club is going through such troubled times it is difficult not to get emotional about him becoming a liability. I don’t know that he would want to play in the Championship, some might argue he should accept it, but I’m also not sure if he can remain part of the set-up if they stay up, given him performance levels. There would not be a huge queue of interested clubs but it’s definitely an uncertain time."
Firpo was sent off for Leeds last weekend in their 2-2 draw against Newcastle United last weekend, picking up a second yellow card following a foul on Anthony Gordon, as per BBC Sport.
Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson has hit out at the former Barcelona ace for his display against the Magpies at Elland Road where he also gifted the visitors a penalty. As per MOT Leeds News, the pundit said: “Firpo was the most guilty of it [rash tackles]. He was on a one-man self-destruct mission the whole game. He was lucky to stay on the pitch after the first tackle that he was yellow-carded for, then he gave away the penalty and then the free kick just outside the back.
The Santo Domingo De Guzman-born left-back has made 24 appearances for his current employers this season, registering two goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.
Should Junior Firpo have a future at Leeds United going forward?
Irrespective of whether Leeds manage to stay in the Premier League or suffer relegation to the Sky Bet Championship, Firpo looks like someone who has run his race at Elland Road and they should let him go if a suitable offer arises.
WhoScored note that Firpo has recorded an average rating of 6.42/10 for his exploits on the pitch this term, ranking 19th out of a 29-strong squad, showing that the defender has left a lot to be desired at Leeds in 2022/23.
Firpo also ranks in the bottom 20% of full-backs across Europe's top five divisions for the amount of progressive carries he has completed over the last 365 days, managing just 1.26 per 90 minutes in total, according to FBRef.
Speaking on The Times’ The Game Football Podcast, pundit Gregor Robertson didn't mince his words surrounding Firpo's performances, stating: “They still have defenders who feel like they should have clown music playing over them sometimes. Junior Firpo, it’s a big boost that he is suspended; he’s calamitous defensively, he gives something going forwards, but he’s not someone to have in your team."
Earlier this year, Italian outlet Inter Live claimed that Inter Milan were monitoring Firpo's situation and could make a move for the £60k-a-week ace in the summer transfer window.
All things considered, scoping out interested parties in taking Firpo would be the best possible scenario for Leeds as they look to refresh their squad heading into 2023/24.
