Leeds are closing in on the signing of Barcelona full-back Junior Firpo, who is thought to have travelled to England to undergo a medical ahead of a £13m switch to Elland Road.
Leeds are keen to strengthen ahead of a second year back in Premier League after securing a top half finish last season and Junior is considered expendable by Barça after starting just three La Liga games in 2020/21 and spending most of the campaign left on the bench.
Mundo Deportivo describes the transfer as ‘imminent’ and it is expected to be completed within the next few days. Junior is already believed to be in England but is awaiting confirmation of a second negative test before he can released from COVID-19 quarantine protocols.
It is not yet fully clear when that test result will come through and Junior can move forward with the transfer, but once it does everything is expected to fall into place quite quickly afterwards.
The 24-year-old former Spain Under-21 international is likely to sign a long-term contract with Leeds until 2025 or 2026. But the deal, while a good one for the Premier League side, actually represents a loss for Barcelona, who paid an initial €18m to buy Junior from Real Betis as recently as 2019.
Bought to provide back-up and competition for Jordi Alba at Camp Nou, Junior only played 41 times for Barcelona in total across both of his season with the club.
At Leeds, Junior will be expected to compete for a place with Ezgjan Alioski, who established himself as Marcelo Bielsa’s preferred starter at left-back or left wing-back a few weeks into the season and went on to rack up 36 Premier League appearances by the end of the campaign.
