The January transfer window has been open for over two weeks and Leeds United have yet to dip into the market to bolster their squad ahead of the second half of the season.
They will remain at the top of the Championship table if they beat Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road on Sunday, which means that they are in a very good position in the league as it stands.
However, Daniel Farke may still want to add to his options across the pitch by bringing in more quality to help with the promotion push in the months to come.
Leeds must also consider that some players may need to be replaced, whether that is this month or in the summer, with Junior Firpo one of the stars out of contract at the end of the season.
Junior Firpo’s form this season
The former Barcelona defender, who is currently out through injury, has been the go-to left-back for Farke when fit, starting all 15 of his appearances in the Championship this term.
There is not any news currently out there to suggest that he is close to signing a new contract, but it has not been confirmed that the defender will be moving on from Elland Road in the summer, which means that his future is up in the air.
Firpo has provided one goal and three assists from left-back in his 15 appearances, to go along with 3.8 tackles and interceptions combined per match.
This shows that he offers an attacking threat going forward from his defensive positions, whilst also being able to get back in to make challenges to win the ball back for his side.
Farke and Leeds could, though, sign a dream replacement for him by moving for reported transfer target Bali Mumba, who they are said to have sent scouts to watch this season.
Why Bali Mumba would be a dream Junior Firpo replacement
The Pilgrims defender could come in as an excellent signing to replace Firpo if the left-back moves on from West Yorkshire at the end of his contract this summer for a number of reasons.
He would come in as a young talent, at the age of 23, with plenty of time left to develop and improve under Farke’s coaching, whilst he also worked with the German boss at Norwich City and made his Premier League debut for the manager.
Mumba has also showcased his quality in the Championship this season for Plymouth and this, along with his relationship with the Leeds coach, suggests that he could hit the ground running at Elland Road.
|
24/25 Championship |
Bali Mumba |
Junior Firpo |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
26 |
15 |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
3 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.9 |
3.8 |
|
Duel success rate |
55% |
56% |
|
Dribbled past per game |
0.4x |
0.8x |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, the Plymouth star may not make as many tackles and interceptions per game but Firpo is dribbled past twice as many times per match, which suggests that opposition forwards find it harder to get past Mumba.
The English whiz, who was once hailed as “pacey” by Farke, also produced six goals and seven assists for the Pilgrims in the 2022/23 League One title-winning campaign, and this shows that the potential is there for him to improve his attacking output whilst playing in a dominant, promotion-chasing, side.
Overall, the £15k-per-week star, who can play at right-back or left-back, could be a dream replacement for Firpo as a young talent with experience in the Championship and the raw materials, defensively and offensively, to be a terrific option for Leeds.
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