Barcelona outcast Junior Firpo could reportedly be set to end his Camp Nou ordeal as he is on the verge of completing a €15 million transfer to Leeds United.
According to a report from SPORT, Junior Firpo’s time at Barcelona could be finally coming to an end as the out of favour defender is in line to join Premier League outfit Leeds United.
Firpo signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2019 after he enjoyed an impressive 2018/19 campaign with Real Betis. Brought in to compete with and eventually replace Jordi Alba as the first-choice left-back at Camp Nou, the 24-year-old never really got going at Barcelona and has been largely out of favour for most of the past year or so.
Indeed, of his 44 appearances for the Blaugrana, only 18 came in the 2020/21 campaign, out of which only three were starts in La Liga. Heading into the summer, Firpo’s exit was a foregone conclusion, with the 24-year-old defender courting strong interest from AC Milan while a few Premier League clubs, including Leeds, had also shown a keenness.
And, as per the aforementioned report, Leeds have managed to beat their competitors to clinch the signing of the left-back. It is claimed that Firpo was inching towards a move to AC Milan, who were only willing to sign him on a loan deal. However, the effort made by the Whites over the past week to secure the deal has convinced Firpo to choose a transfer to Elland Road this summer.
Leeds United do lack a natural left-back within the first-team currently, having relied on Ezgjan Alioski to do the job for most of the last season. Barry Douglas is on his way out of the club with his deal running out, while Leif Davis lacks the requisite experience. So, bringing in a new left-back was always going to be a priority for Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta.
It seems like they have found their man in Firpo, with the report claiming that Leeds United will be shelling out a transfer fee of €15 million for the former Real Betis star. It is stated that the defender will sign a contract once the agreement is sorted out between the clubs within the coming 48 hours.
Firpo moving to Leeds seems a good move for all parties involved as the 24-year-old can now get regular playing time while the Whites have addressed a problem position, whereas Barcelona are making a decent sum on a player who was not in their plans. The Catalans are already in the market for new left-backs, with Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso being linked with a move recently, among others.
