Leeds have 'growing hope' they will sell Junior Firpo on permanent deal | OneFootball

Highlights

Leeds United defender Junior Firpo has struggled to make an impact since arriving at Elland Road, and journalist Dean Jones has now provided an update on his future to GIVEMESPORT, discussing Daniel Farke's plans ahead of the January transfer window.

Firpo signed on the dotted line for the Yorkshire club for a fee of around £13m from Barcelona almost two-and-a-half years ago. When arriving from a club that has seen some of the best players in world football ply their trade at the Nou Camp, Firpo arrived with plenty of expectation.

However, the Spanish defender has failed to produce in a Leeds shirt and was part of the squad who were relegated from the Premier League. With the Whites now competing in the Championship, Firpo has found himself out of favour at Elland Road under Farke, casting doubt about his future at the Yorkshire club.

Firpo wants to leave Leeds

Firpo is reportedly eager to take on a new challenge once the winter transfer window opens for business, as per a report from French media outlet Foot Mercato. This desire stems from his limited opportunities for regular playing time since the start of the current campaign, and it's been claimed that a move to his former club could be on the cards.

Real Betis are actively pursuing the possibility of reuniting with Firpo and are aiming to finalise a loan agreement. With both parties seemingly keen on making a deal happen, we could see Firpo return to Real Betis during the January transfer window. The 27-year-old still has around 18 months remaining on his £60k-a-week contract, meaning it would make financial sense for Leeds to cash in.

Journalist Jones previously told GIVEMESPORT that Leeds supporters would be happy to see the back of Firpo considering the lack of impact he's made at Elland Road. Dropping down to the Championship could have been the ideal situation for Firpo to rebuild his career, producing some consistent performances in a lower league, but it's certainly not worked out that way for the Spaniard.

JustJoe Football Show presenter Joe Wainman, a Leeds supporter, suggested to GIVEMESPORT earlier in the season that he wouldn't even call Firpo a footballer, which sums up his time at the Yorkshire club so far. So far this campaign, we've seen the likes of Sam Byram and Djed Spence feature at left-back ahead of Firpo, so it's evident that he's fallen down the pecking order under Farke.

Dean Jones update - Leeds want permanent exit

Jones has suggested that there is growing hope at Leeds that they can sanction a permanent departure for Firpo in the January transfer window. The journalist adds that the left-back position is somewhere that Farke and his recruitment team could focus on in terms of potential incoming due to it being considered a weak spot in their side. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said...

Leeds could sign attacking midfielder

So far this campaign, Farke has utilised summer signing Joel Piroe in a slightly deeper role than he's used to. The Dutch striker often led the line for Swansea City during his time at the club, but he's been deployed just behind a centre-forward this term.

Jones has recently revealed to GIVEMESPORT that an attacking midfielder could be on Farke's wishlist during the January transfer window. Brenden Aaronson was signed in 2022 to play in that role, but the American international struggled to make an impact and was sent out on loan to Union Berlin ahead of the current campaign.

, two attacking players, but only if they sign a replacement.