“There is a pretty high chance that he will leave Leeds in January if they can get a good offer for him”- Journalist Dean Jones confirms Leeds have now decided to sanction sale of Marcelo Bielsa signing in January, Player wants out too
Leeds United star Junior Firpo has a ‘pretty high chance’ of sealing his Elland Road departure next month, and transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT why boss Daniel Farke is open to sanctioning his exit.
Although the Whites saw a number of key men leave following their relegation from the Premier League, with close to £30million being recouped through sales during the summer window, the left-back was among those to remain in Yorkshire beyond the deadline.
But despite being in the mix for an immediate return to the top flight as Farke goes in search of a third promotion from the Championship, having won the title twice during his Norwich City reign, there is speculation that Firpo has reached the final days of his Leeds career.
Firpo is determined to embark on a fresh challenge when the winter window opens for business at the turn of the year, according to French media outlet Foot Mercato, after being starved of regular game time since the campaign got underway.
The report suggests former employers Real Betis are keen to offer a route out of Elland Road by putting a loan proposal on the table for the 27-year-old, who has been restricted to just 116 minutes of action after a knee ligament injury hampered his chances of breaking into the forefront of Farke’s plans during the early stages of his stewardship.
Firpo has been on Leeds’ books since sealing a £13million switch from Barcelona close to two-and-a-half years ago.
Although Firpo may be keen to return to familiar surroundings in Real Betis in the coming weeks, Leeds do not necessarily need to bow to his demands as his £60,000-per-week contract will still have 18 months remaining when the winter window opens.
But JustJoe Football Show presenter Joe Wainman would clearly back the Whites’ decision to offload the Dominican Republican if that is the route Farke chooses to go down as he previously told GIVEMESPORT he ‘wouldn’t even call him a footballer’ after failing to make the mark at Elland Road.
Although Turkish side Galatasaray attempted to recruit Firpo on loan for the campaign after seeing Ligue 1 outfit Marseille drop out of the race for his signature during the summer, a move to the Super Lig failed to come to fruition.
Jones believes there is a strong possibility that Firpo’s days at Leeds are numbered as he is increasingly likely to head through the exit door during the fast-approaching January transfer window if he is eager to return to Betis.
Although the respected journalist initially expected the full-back to be a standout signing for the Whites, he concedes he has failed to meet expectations since moving into English football for the first time in his career.
Jones told GIVEMESPORT:
“There is a pretty high chance that Firpo will leave Leeds in January if they can get a good offer for him. If he has had his head turned by the idea of going back to Betis, I think it’s understandable if they look to cash in.
“I thought it was a good transfer when he first joined Leeds, to be honest, but that was more based on what I had previously seen at Betis than Barcelona.
“It hasn’t worked out as well as expected. There’s no denying that. In Barcelona, I think they’re probably looking back at it and realising they made the right decision to let him leave because he can’t even live up to expectations at Elland Road, let alone the Nou Camp.”
