Leeds United have had an interesting start to the 2024/25 campaign.
After losing in the Championship play-off final last season, there is a lot of pressure on Daniel Farke to go one better this year and take the Whites back to the Premier League.
However, the losses of Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter to the Premier League have only made his task more difficult, and now another off-field issue could be taking his focus in the coming months.
Junior Firpo, who joined the club in the summer of 2021 from FC Barcelona, is out of contract at the end of the season, and reports have stated that he will only sign an extension if Leeds enjoy a positive start to the season and are challenging for promotion.
At 28, he has entered the peak of his career and there would be a level of disappointment around Elland Road if he does depart, but it is not a situation that needs to distract the team from their main target.
Carlton Palmer believes that Leeds should work out a deal with Firpo
It has been an interesting three years for the Dominican Republic international, having struggled for form throughout his time in Yorkshire. But, 2024 has seen the full-back come into his own, and he is currently a player that cannot be dropped.
Before the campaign had started, deciding whether to keep Firpo on board was perhaps something that was a bit of an after-thought, however, he has become a key component in Farke’s team.
Former Sheffield Wednesday and England midfielder, Carlton Palmer, believes that Leeds should work out a way to keep the defender on board, but stresses that he should not cause the focus to turn away from promotion.
Speaking exclusively to Football League World, the pundit said: “The attacking full back is out of contract this summer. He’s reportedly on £60,000-a-week and Daniel Farke has come out and said there will be time to talk about the future of Firpo, with Farke seemingly keen to extend his contract.
“But from Firpo’s camp, it’s believed that he will only sign a new contract with Leeds United should they get promoted to the Premier League. The Yorkshire side are fifth in the Championship with 16 points on board after nine games, they’re only three points adrift of the leaders Sunderland.
“They should not have drawn with Sunderland, and if the goalkeeper hadn’t made the mistake they would be near the top of the table. They’re in a very, very strong position at the moment, Leeds United, and so they will wait for Firpo.”
Palmer continued: “I’m sure they’ll sit down at Christmas because what will happen is that people will be coming after Firpo in the January transfer window knowing that he’s available on a free.
“So, I believe talks will start soon enough because they won’t want disruption to their season, where in this campaign alone, the 28-year-old full back has a goal and two assists on the board in nine Championship outings.
“So again, they don’t want to have any disruption. I think they’ll sit down with Firpo and if they can’t agree a new contract, I think he would more than likely leave in the January transfer window.”
| Junior Firpo Leeds United 2024/25 Stats (FotMob)* | |
|---|---|
| Appearances (Starts) | 9 (9) |
| Minutes Played | 783 |
| Goals (Assists) | 1 (2) |
| Pass Accuracy | 83.3% |
| Touches (In Opposition Box) | 685 (32) |
| Tackles Won | 11 |
| Duels Won | 56 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 15 |
| *Stats correct as of 11/10/2024 | |
Firpo’s performances in 2024/25 have come as a surprise
While there has been a lot of focus on those who have left the club, some of the new players, and those who have struggled in the past, have already started to step up.
Leeds are not an easy club to play for, with a hugely passionate fanbase that only wants their team to succeed. Firpo’s effort levels in previous years have perhaps not been at the heights that were expected of him, but in his second year in the Championship he has started to show why he was signed for £12.8 million.
Winning promotion back to the Premier League is the key to Farke keeping his job at Elland Road, and therefore the two dilemmas work in tandem, as it does seem likely that Firpo will extend his stay if he is playing top flight football once again next season.
Not only is the full-back’s attacking performance improving, but also, defensively, he is beginning to look a more complete player. He has completed 11 tackles, won 56 duels and made 13 interceptions as the Whites look for even more improvements once the international break is over.
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