It’s been over two weeks since the January transfer window opened, but Leeds United are yet to enter the market to strengthen their squad for the second half of the season.
They will remain top of the Championship if they beat Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road on Sunday, which means they are currently in a very good position in the league.
However, Daniel Farke may want to increase his options across the pitch by bringing in more quality players to help his promotion push in the coming months.
Leeds also have to take into account that they may need to replace some players, whether this month or in the summer, as one of their star players, Junior Firpo, is out of contract at the end of the season. There is.
Junior Firpo’s form this season
The former Barcelona defender is currently out injured, but when fit he is Falke’s go-to left-back and has started all 15 games in the Championship this season.
There is currently no news suggesting he is close to signing a new contract, but there is no confirmation that the defender will move from Elland Road in the summer, meaning his future is up in the air. This means that .
Firpo has made 1 goal and 3 assists in 15 appearances as a left-back, along with 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game.
This shows that while he provides an attacking threat forward from a defensive position, he can also challenge back to win the ball back for his team.
However, Falke and Leeds could sign a dream deal to replace him by moving on to Bari Mumba, a transfer target who is said to have sent scouts to monitor this season. There is.
Why Bari Mumba would be a dream replacement for Junior Firpo
The Pilgrims defender could arrive as a great signing to replace Firpo if the left-back leaves West Yorkshire for various reasons when his contract expires this summer.
He joins as a young talent at the age of 23, leaving him plenty of time to develop and improve under Falke’s guidance, while also working with Norwich City’s German manager, who also helped him reach the Premier League. He made his debut.
Mumba has shown his quality in the Championship for Plymouth this season and, combined with his relationship with the Leeds coach, this suggests he could be a serious player at Elland Road.
24/25 Championship
Bali Mumba
Junior Firpo
Appearance
26
15
A big opportunity has arisen
2
3
Tackles + Interceptions per game
2.9
3.8
Duel success rate
55%
56%
Number of dribble breakthroughs per game
0.4 times
0.8x
Statistics by Sofascore
As you can see from the table above, Plymouth’s star players may not make as many tackles or interceptions per game, but Firpo is dribbled through twice as many times per game, which is more than his opponents. This suggests that it will be difficult for forwards to overtake Mumba.
The English prodigy, who was once hailed as ‘pacy’ by manager Farke, scored six goals and provided seven assists for the Pilgrims in their League One title-winning season in 2022-23, an improvement on his performance. This shows that there is potential for improvement. Demonstrate attacking performance while playing for a dominant team aiming for promotion.
All in all, the £15,000-a-week star, who can play at right-back or left-back, could be Firpo’s dream successor as a young talent with Championship experience and defensive and attacking qualities. be. A great option for Leeds.
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