Leeds could sign Firp’s dream replacement in swoop for £15k-p/w ‘pacey’ star

The January transfer window has been open for more than two weeks and Leeds United have yet to enter the market to strengthen their squad ahead of the second half of the season.

If they beat Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road on Sunday, they will remain at the top of the Championship table, which means they are in a very good position in this league.

However, Daniel Farke may still want to increase his options across the pitch by bringing in more quality to help progress in the coming months.

Leeds must also consider that some players may need to be replaced, be it this month or the summer, with Junior Firp one of the stars out of contract at the end of the season.

Junior Firp’s form this season

The former Barcelona defender, who is currently sidelined with injury, filled in at left-back for Farke when he was fit, starting with all 15 of his appearances in the championship this term.

There is currently no news to suggest he is close to signing a new deal, but it is not confirmed that the defender will move away from Elland Road in the summer, meaning his future is up in the air.

Firpo provided one goal and three assists from left back in his 15 appearances, with 3.8 tackles and interceptions combined per game.

This shows that he offers an attacking threat going forward from his defensive positions, while also being able to drop back and make challenges to win the ball back to his side.

Farke and Leeds could still sign a dream replacement for him with a move for reported transfer target Bali Mumba, which they are said to have sent scouts to watch this season.

Why Bali Mumba would be a dream replacement for Junior Firp

The Pilgrims defender could come in as an excellent signing to replace Firp if the left-back moves from West Yorkshire at the end of his contract this summer for a number of reasons.

He would come in as a young talent, aged 23, with plenty of time to develop and improve under Farke’s tutelage, while also working with the German boss at Norwich City and making his Premier League debut for the manager.

Mumba has also shown his quality in the Championship this season for Plymouth and this, along with his relationship with the Leeds manager, suggests he could be on the pitch at Elland Road.

As you can see in the table above, the Plymouth star may not make as many tackles and interceptions per game, but Firpo has been dribbled twice as many times per game, suggesting that Mumba is harder for opposition attackers to get past.

An English medicine man, who once was hailed as “pacey” Farkea, also produced six goals and seven assists for the Pilgrims in their 2022/23 League One title campaign, and it shows there is potential for him to improve his attacking output while playing in a dominant promotion-chasing side.

All in all, 15 thousand pounds a week star, who can play at right-back or left-back, could be a dream replacement for Firp as a young talent with Championship experience and the raw material, defensively and offensively, to be a great option for Leeds.