“That is a problem…” - Leeds United told to be patient over potential summer exit | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer insists Leeds United don’t need to rush to make a decision over Junior Firpo after it was claimed that the left-back could leave Elland Road this summer.

The 27-year-old joined the Whites from Barcelona in the summer of 2021, and he arrived with a lot of pedigree having played for Real Betis as well as the Catalan giants.

However, Firpo struggled to adapt to English football initially, as he failed to truly convince in the top-flight with Leeds under different managers.

As well as that, injuries have hindered the player, as he has not played as many games as he would’ve wanted over the years, which may have prevented him from getting the rhythm he needs to reach his highest level.

Pleasingly for Firpo and Leeds, 2024 has been much kinder to the defender on the injury front, with the bulk of his 17 Championship appearances this season coming in the past few months as the Yorkshire side chase promotion.

And, generally, Firpo has impressed, bringing a nice balance to the team down the left flank, where he has looked assured defensively, and he has contributed going forward, registering five assists.

Therefore, it was perhaps surprising to see The Athletic state that Firpo could be on the move this summer, as he will be about to enter the final 12 months of his deal, so Leeds could look to cash in before letting him depart on a free.

Carlton Palmer calls for Leeds patience over Junior Firpo

Yet, speaking to FLW, Palmer admitted Firpo’s injury history is a concern, so he understands why Leeds may be reluctant to agree fresh terms, but he feels they shouldn’t be so quick to make a decision either way.

“I can see why people are talking about not renewing his contract, he has struggled with injuries and that is a problem. You obviously don’t want to go into the new season with a player that is often out.

“He’s having a tremendous season this season, he’s doing really well, five assists in 17 games for a left-back is outstanding. But, I don’t think Daniel Farke will be in any rush to make a decision, and they need to win promotion first before looking at the situation.

“They may sit down with the player and think it’s better for him to move on in the summer, so they can go out and strengthen that left-back position if he doesn’t feel Firpo is capable of cutting it in the Premier League.

“But, there’s no panic at the moment. Leeds United do not want to go into the Premier League thinking the left-back could miss parts of the season, so that’s a factor that comes into it. I don’t think it’s an issue at this moment in time, as he still does have a year to run on his deal.”

The left-back position has been a problem for Leeds for some time, and it will need to be addressed this summer.

Keeping Firpo as a backup wouldn’t make sense when you consider the wages he will command, so if he isn’t going to be first-choice, then financially, it would be best to let him depart in the summer.

So, it will be interesting to see what happens, but if Firpo continues to play the way he is now over the next few months, then it may convince Leeds to keep him around.