This week, Leeds United will see an inflow of departed players as the 49ers try to downsize their squad, with Archie Gray and Charlie Cresswell on their way out permanently.
Gray’s transfer to Tottenham is almost complete, while Cresswell has gone to France to complete a £3.8 million move to Ligue 1 side Toulouse after struggling for playing time.
Leeds will win handsomely on both fronts, as Cresswell and Gray are Thorp Arch academy graduates. Diego Llorente is also poised to join Marc Roca at Real Betis, with both agreements worth £4 million.
But Leeds will not stop there, as the 49ers recognise that the squad size and wage expenditure are simply too high for a second season in the Championship. The next exit might be a significant left-handed player.
Junior Firpo might join Gray in departing Leeds this month.
The Mail reports that Leeds are ‘expecting’ left-back Junior Firpo to depart Elland Road soon. Three years after signing with the Yorkshire club, a decision must be made on the former Barcelona star.
Firpo was an important component of the Leeds team during the second half of the season under Daniel Farke, providing an incredible eight assists from the left side of the defence. But there’s a difficulty with keeping him.
Aside from his defensive flaws, which have exposed Leeds on several occasions, particularly in the Premier League, Firpo has only reached the final year of his contract at Elland Road this summer.
What Jesse Marsch stated about Firpo as Leeds manager
Leeds must decide whether to offer him a new contract, which Firpo may decline given his history of attracting interest from Spain, having played for both Betis and Barcelona in La Liga.
The 49ers will most likely want to offload Firpo this summer in order to reduce his salary. Firpo will remain one of the club’s top earners despite pay reduction, given his previous stint at Barcelona.
However, based purely on his performance in the run-up to last season, it would be a significant loss. Jesse Marsch once described him as “one of the best players in the team” after taking over as manager at Elland Road.
