Automatic promotion might mean Leeds United player set to play final three games in Whites shirt: View | OneFootball

The full-back has made 27 appearances for the Whites so far this Championship season, contributing to five assists, as per Transfermarkt.

However, despite having his best season with the club so far, the Whites defender has come under plenty of scrutiny for his performances for the West Yorkshire outfit since signing from Barcelona in the summer of 2021.

Firpo was signed for €15 million (£12.8 million), with the La Liga outfit also set to receive 20 percent of any future fee for the defender. That fee appeared like a snip at the time, but prior to this year, Firpo struggled to ever cement himself as a key figure in the squad.

He arrived with a strong reputation and pedigree having played for Real Betis as well as the Catalan giants in the Champions League. Injuries during his time at Leeds meant that the full-back featured 43 times in the top-flight across two seasons before Leeds suffered relegation to the Championship.

The 27-year-old had made just one league appearance early on in the second tier, coming off the bench in the closing stages of a 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle prior to the November international break, and it appeared as though this season was set to be the same struggle for fitness for most of the season.

Firpo played just three times in November before succumbing to injury once more, but he then had a turning point in 2024 - albeit with a hamstring issue during the festive period setting him back slightly.

After struggling with those issues, and failing to contribute to any goal involvement, Firpo then managed four assists in three games, during crucial wins over Birmingham City, Cardiff City, and against Preston North End.

His introduction into the side was one of a number of factors which helped to contribute towards an uptick in the team's form in 2024, when they won their opening nine league games of the calendar year to apply pressure to the top sides in the Championship.

While he has never been a strong one against one defender or strongest in general defensive situations, Firpo has the ability to contribute to the Leeds attack consistently down the left-hand side, which is something that has greatly aided the side to keep winning games.

It was always clear that he has the talent in possession, and if Firpo could avoid the injuries that had so far blighted his Leeds career, then the club had a solution to their left-back problem, having started just once during the first half of the campaign and 15 league games since then during a long unbeaten Leeds run.

He will overlap, and, crucially, hold the width. He is able to do this as he plays on his strong foot, and is the only out-and-out left-footed full-back at the club, which opens up passing angles in build up and crossing opportunities in the final third, where his dynamic with Crysencio Summerville is particularly fruitful, as well as his relationship with Glen Kamara in progressing the ball upfield.

Junior Firpo could be entering his final batch of matches for Leeds United

It has been reported that Leeds will be willing to listen to offers for Firpo in the summer, regardless of their league status.

Left-back has been a problem area for the club in the recent past, and it is a part of the squad that Farke will be keen to strengthen after the season ends, even if Firpo were to stay.

The club’s summer business will depend on which league the team is competing in next year, with the Whites fighting for promotion straight back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Failure to cash-in on Firpo this summer would also mean the club would be at risk of losing him for nothing in the summer of 2025 due to his expiring contract, which sees him earn amongst the top players at Elland Road - unsurprisngly, given that he came from Barcelona.

Sam Byram has been the stand-in option there in Firpo's absence, but he, too, is also hampered by minor issues here and there. Neither have particularly strong injury records that can be relied upon as the primary starting player.

Firpo is the only specialist and thus should end the season playing left-back, which could be as few as three games in the regular league season. Or two or three more on top of that if the Whites require the play-offs to gain promotion.

It seems that, despite his strong form since the turn of the year, he is into his final appearances as a Leeds player and will be departing West Yorkshire for a fresh opportunity this summer, providing the club don't have a change of heart and look to offer him fresh terms this summer.