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Sky Sports pundit claims Leeds United yet to see return for eight-figure 2021 investment

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Leeds United are expecting to welcome back Junior Firpo to the side after the international break, having missed the start of the Premier League season.

While not having nay club football to watch in the last fortnight has been incredibly boring, it has provided some major fitness boosts to Jesse Marsch’s side.

Two games postponed, followed by an international break, have meant that Leeds are likely to welcome back a handful of players for their home clash against Aston Villa.

Junior Firpo is one of that group hoping that the start of October will bring his first Premier League appearance of the season, after his pre-season injury ruled him out thus far.

That setback was just about typical of his time here so far: disappointing. Having come from Barcelona for £13million, he has not lived up to expectations and now faces a battle to prove to fans that he’s a viable option in this league – especially when centre-back Pascal Struijk is excelling as deputy.

However, Firpo is expected to get that chance from Marsch, given that he’s the only natural left-back at the club in either the senior or under-21 side.

Former Leeds United man and Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has weighed up his situation at Leeds, after a less-than encouraging time in 2021/22.

Speaking to the YEP, he stated:

“With Firpo, I don’t think it’s too remiss to say that Leeds fans are still waiting for that consistent output of quality from him.

“I think we have seen that he has got it in him but it’s consistency which is what the Premier League is all about.

“The players that kind of knock off 200, 300 or 400 games in the Premier League are not all absolute dribbling superstars that can thread the eye of a needle.

“They are reliable players and if he is a defender then defend.

“There will be a lot asked with regards to getting forward from that position given how narrow potentially the attack is for Leeds but his next challenge is to knock Struijk out of his position.”

Do Leeds still need a left-back in January?

Yes

Yes

No

No

As something of an optimistic view, I still hope Firpo can come good for us, but I’m not terribly confident that he will be able to any time soon.

The fans have already made their minds up on him, and it will take a lot for that narrative to change, even if he plays well between now and January.

Struijk’s performances have made it more clear how weak we were at left-back last season, given his focus on defensive qualities has been a breath of fresh air.

Even if Firpo does put in some very impressive performances, I would still be tempted to look into signing a left-back in January.

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Leeds United season ticket holder since 2013/14, currently situated in the middle of the FA5 noise. From Pablo Hernandez to 5-1 drubbings, I've seen it all at Elland Road.