Eyebrows were raised last week when Daniel Farke admitted that Leeds United were yet to even open initial talks with Junior Firpo over a new contract at Elland Road.
The £13 million signing from Barcelona had been one of the club’s star performers throughout 2024/25, after all, playing the best football of his Leeds United career since returning from a six-week injury absence after Christmas.
And, with Real Betis keen to bring Junior Firpo back to Spain, Leeds putting discussions on the backburner therefore increases the risk of the club losing their first-choice left-back for nothing during the upcoming summer window.
Daniel Farke’s explanation, ahead of the FA Cup defeat to Millwall, was that Leeds did not want to distract Junior Firpo by opening contract talks in the midst of a title charge. There is, the German says, simply ‘no time’ in a packed schedule to focus on anything but their remaining 14 Championship fixtures.
Junior Firpo’s Leeds United future uncertain as Daniel Farke opens up on contract situation
Leeds moved three points closer to promotion when the ‘unplayable’ Manor Solomon, Dan James and Joel Piroe destroyed Watford in midweek.
The table-toppers can extend the gap between themselves and rivals Sunderland to ten points, meanwhile, with another win against Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats on Monday night.
Farke, in the build-up to that Sunderland clash, offered a further peak behind the curtain into Leeds’ contract planning.
Junior Firpo is reportedly the club’s second-highest earner on £60,000-a-week, only behind injured striker Patrick Bamford. And, while he did not name the Spain-born Dominican Republic international directly, Farke did indicate that Leeds would be in no position to green-light any deal for the likes of Firpo until it can be confirmed which division they will be playing in come 2025/26.
“It’s a bit complicated because the financial resources differ a bit,” Farke explains. “For example, if you extend the contract of a very expensive player who is normally too expensive for the Championship, sometimes you have to wait a little bit. [With] the finances, you have to be a bit more careful in terms of planning.
“Or, the other way round, [you have to wait and see] if you really can afford to be there as a Premier League signing. You have to wait until the money of the Premier League is guaranteed.
“You have to be a bit more careful in terms of planning because we want to be sustainable. We can’t do crazy things and risk the long-term future of the club.
“It’s always a bit complicated [for teams in our situation].”
Leeds also put Sam Byram and Joshua Guilavogui talks on the backburner
As things stand, Sam Byram and Joshua Guilavogui will also be free-agents come July 1st.
According to Capology, both Byram and Guilavogui earn around a third of the wages Firpo takes home every week, meaning extending their deals, in theory, should not be beyond Leeds even if they suffer a repeat of last season’s heartbreak.
“It is, for each and every team, the same situation,” Farke adds. “Quite often, you don’t know before May which league you will play in. Sometimes, it’s really difficult. [If you are in] a play-off final, you have to start planning more or less in June or whatever, the squad planning.
“Sometimes, if you are cruising seven points ahead – you had this with Burnley [back in 2022/23] – it is a bit easier. But normally, in this crazy league, you can’t fulfil your concrete plannings until pretty late.
“It’s important that you prepare a few options in order to be there with decisions as quickly as possible. The quicker you are there with decisions in your key positions the better.”
Junior Firpo provided three assists as Leeds thrashed Cardiff City 7-0 a fortnight ago. As such, he joins Manor Solomon at the top of the club’s assist charts with seven.
Firpo’s defensive nous will be needed against Sunderland, however, with Patrick Roberts always a tricky customer on the right-hand side of Le Bris’ attack.
“In general, [Sunderland] are a brave side. They can score more or less from all positions,” Farke says of Monday’s opponents.
“Regis is an experienced manager and has proved this in his career. Sunderland have experienced players at this level who could lead the group. They are one of the best sides in this league.
“We should have won the last game against them as we dominated many periods [until Illan Meslier’s mistake gifted Sunderland a point in stoppage-time]. We have to be concentrated.”
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