Daniel Farke drops biggest hint yet about Junior Firpo’s Leeds United future

Dan Owen

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.