Leeds have skipped AC Milan in the race to sign Barcelona’s Junior Firpo on a permanent transfer.
The Dominican left-back has struggled to hit the ground since joining Barca from Real Betis in 2019 and managed just 41 games in two full seasons in Catalonia.
The plan had been for him to compete with Jordi Alba for the starting spot, but he has largely struggled to impress, and he is one of several players the club has been willing to listen to offers to raise money.
Milan had been interested in taking him on loan, but Fabrizio Romano reports that it has fallen on deaf ears, with Barcelona preferring to sell now and get back part of the £ 16 million they paid for him two years ago. Because of this, Leeds have been able to make the ground, and Romano says the deal is anything but complete.
It is expected that Marcelo Bielsa’s team will initially pay 16 million euros (13.75 million pounds) plus various conditional supplements to get him to Elland Road.
Leeds will sign Junior Firpo from Barcelona, confirmed. The agreement will be finalized for EUR 15 million + additions, final details and then implemented. ? #LUFC #FCB
AC Milan are currently out of the race as Barça prefer to sell Firpo on a permanent deal, as reported by @tjuanmarti.
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 28, 2021
Firpo was once considered one of Spanish football’s most promising left-backs, but his stock has taken something from a nose for two years at Camp Nou that seems to have hampered his development somewhat. But he still represents something of a coup for Leeds, and at 24 o’clock there is still plenty of time for him to improve and grab the Premier League.
Milan wanted him among reports linking Theo Hernandez to a move to PSG, but Barça are desperate for funds in their current financial situation and are not prepared to gamble on what Firpo could be worth in a year’s time.
News of Firpo’s impending arrival comes on the same day as Leeds confirmed their first signing of the summer in Birmingham’s teenager Amari Miller. The teenage swing has signed a long-term agreement that runs until 2025.
