Leeds Can Replace Firpo With £1k-p/w “Next Van Dijk”

Leeds United are experiencing a number of uncertainty in the intervening time with no sporting director, no supervisor and a takeover within the works, while additionally making ready to lose various their gamers as a consequence of relegation to the Championship subsequent season.

The Whites have been relegated on the ultimate day of their dreadful Premier League marketing campaign and after three years away should compete once more within the second tier with hope they’ll bounce again as much as the highest flight once more as quickly as doable.

While the appointment of a supervisor and sporting director will probably be a high precedence for Angus Kinnear, the membership hierarchy are confronted with large selections on easy methods to handle the departures of many gamers this summer season and trimming down their high-quality squad will probably be important.

One participant who has been linked with a transfer away from the membership this week is Junior Firpo, as Italian journalist and switch skilled Fabrizio Romano revealed on Wednesday that the left-back might be set for an exit:

“Perceive Junior Firpo will go away Leeds United this summer season as a number of European golf equipment are already eager on signing him.”

“The plan is to attempt a brand new expertise after relegation.”

Certainly, it will likely be troublesome for Leeds to see so many gamers go away this summer season, however in Firpo’s case it paves the way in which for a proficient younger participant to step into the function and earn his probability to play common first-team soccer at Elland Highway subsequent season.

Who’s Leo Hjelde?

The 19-year-old joined from Celtic in the summertime of 2021, incomes his Premier League debut below Marcelo Bielsa lower than six months later and has extra lately been on a half-season mortgage with Rotherham within the Championship.

Over 13 league appearances, the 6 foot 2 Norwegian has created one large probability and efficiently accomplished 67% of his dribbles, in addition to averaging 1.4 interceptions, 1.3 tackles, 2.2 clearances and three duels received per recreation, giving a glimpse of his strong defensive attributes throughout his quick spell within the second tier.

Hjelde – who’s an extremely versatile participant with experience at each left-back and within the left-sided centre-back function – has been the recipient of some big reward and excessive expectations for his growth, along with his former Ross County supervisor John Hughes comparing him to a Premier League and Champions League winner:

“100%, Leo goes to be the subsequent [Virgil] Van Dijk. He’s a extremely good child with a really vibrant future.”

Hughes then went on to offer an insight into the participant’s finest attributes, stating:

“He’s an athlete, fast, no one would run him. He’s bought that ‘I’m a participant’ about him. It’s not in an boastful method, it’s a perception.”

Certainly, protecting maintain of a number of the key contributors can be massively advantageous to the West Yorkshire membership of their pursuit to smash their Championship marketing campaign, however it should even be an enormous enhance to have a younger and hungry participant to inject into the group who additionally has sound expertise of the soccer being performed within the league.

With that being stated, it will be a no brainer to incorporate Hjelde within the first-team squad subsequent season because the £1k-per-week starlet might be an extremely precious asset to the subsequent Leeds supervisor and confidently exchange Firpo if the membership does money on this summer season.