Two big Premier League questions asked of Junior Firpo as Leeds United contract talks continue
The out-of-contract Leeds United defender struggled during his last Premier League stint but has been outstanding in the Championship.
Former Leeds United defender Aidy White has questioned whether Junior Firpo can cope defensively with the Premier League as discussions continue over his future.
Firpo is currently set to leave Elland Road as a free agent this summer following the expiration of his contract, with speculation over his future intensifying as the 2024/25 season came to an end. Leeds published their retained list to the EFL on Saturday afternoon and in it, confirmed they ‘remain in discussions’ with the 28-year-old and Sam Byram over a possible extension.
A tally of four goals and 10 assists during Leeds’ title-winning campaign would suggest Firpo was the Championship’s best left-back but the step up to Premier League football is huge. The Dominican Republic international knows all too well how difficult life in the top-flight can be, having struggled as relegation loomed in 2022/23.
Firpo’s future remains uncertain and following Leeds’ title parade earlier this month, he appeared on teammate Jayden Bogle’s Instagram live broadcast instructing chairman Paraag Marathe to ‘send the ting’, in reference to a new contract. But White, who himself played left-back at Elland Road, believes consideration must be given to the fact Farke’s side will have to do a lot more defending compared to their two Championship years.
“He has played a pivotal part so he deserves another contract,” former Leeds left-back told The Square Ball of Firpo. “But it is the question of whether that is, if he’s enough. My opinion is that he’s excellent going forward but I still question his defensive attributes. In the Premier League. We won’t have control.
“For me, has he got the one-on-one quality and that defensive awareness? Can he sit back and not get dragged out of position? You never know, the club might want to get some money back. It’s always nice to have a player you can rely on. Daniel Farke might want him around.”
Junior Firpo on his Leeds United future amid contract talks
It remains to be seen how Leeds will proceed with Firpo, who will not be short of alternative options should he call time on his Elland Road spell. Former club Real Betis are thought to hold a long-standing interest in the full-back but speaking exclusively to the YEP in the immediate aftermath of promotion, he hinted another shot at the Premier League was certainly on the cards.
“I think I have a pretty good relationship with the fans at the minute,” Firpo said. “And obviously it is not a thing that I can say, that the last time in the Prem was good. I know it wasn't good, but people need to know a lot of things. They just see me perform, but they don't know the amount of injuries that I was getting. And every time that I was recovering, I was straight back into the starting XI. This is not healthy for a player.
“The amount of times that I had COVID, I was in and out, and I feel like the situation in the club wasn't as good as it is now. So I think in this position now it is much, much different. Also, it might be something that I would like to do, you know, going to the Prem and playing at a good level to say that I'm Prem-proven and let people know this. But as I said let's see what happens, I don't know what's going to happen but I just wanted to say this."
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