Leeds United defender Junior Firpo may be sweating over his long-term future as his club are linked with a move for a new full-back in the summer.
Journalist Alan Nixon recently claimed (via MOT Leeds News) that the Whites will soon hold talks with Aberdeen defender Calvin Ramsay over a possible transfer in the upcoming market.
If that deal is to get across the line, it could spell trouble for Firpo. With that in mind, TIF has taken a look at why exactly, and how it could all play out.
Firpo flop?
Firpo joined from Barcelona last summer for a reported fee of around £13m. He was tasked with taking over from Ezgjan Alioski, but initially struggled to adapt to his new club.
Indeed, Stuart Dallas has often had to play in that role ahead of the 25-year-old and Firpo could end the season playing second-fiddle to the Northern Ireland international.
The Dominican Republic defender has missed the last four games due to injury, but former player Paul Robinson has said he shouldn’t get his place back in the starting XI even when he returns to full fitness.
Robinson slammed Junior Firpo and called him a ‘liability‘ earlier this month.
Ramsay wanted
It seems that the transfer interest in Ramsay really is heating up. Indeed, Nixon claimed recently that Aberdeen dropped the player this week amid the transfer speculation, with Liverpool also thought to be in the running for his signature.
He said: “Aberdeen left out their young defender at the weekend and insiders believe there will be a fee agreed very soon, possibly this week.
“Sources close to the player expect him to be allowed to talk to both clubs to discuss their plans before taking his pick.”
Was Junior Firpo a poor singing by Leeds?
Yes
No
Dallas is more often seen as a right-back or a midfielder, who can operate on the left side of the defence if needs be, so it doesn’t look like he is a long-term solution to the club’s left-back concerns. And with Firpo unable to really nail down that position in his debut season, manager Jesse Marsch may be open to exploring something new in the market.
The club do have Luke Ayling and Cody Drameh as options at right-back, so if Ramsay was to come in, he could be developed into a left-sided player to challenge Firpo. Indeed, he actually scored his first goal for Aberdeen with a ‘stunning strike’ from distance with his left foot, which suggests he could happily play on either flank in defence.
And as he is still only 18 years of age, he could be moulded into a more natural fit on that side to suit Marsch’s style of play. With that in mind, it looks like competition for the full-back spots could really heat up this summer at Leeds, so Firpo will have to be on the top of his game over the next few weeks.
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