Leeds United head into the final international break of the year in third place in the Championship, two points off Sheffield United and Sunderland in the automatic promotion places.
The Whites beat Queens Park Rangers 2-0 at Elland Road on Saturday, thanks to goals from Jayden Bogle and Joel Piroe, to ensure that they did not slip further away from their rivals in the hunt for a top two finish.
Daniel Farke’s team are aiming to secure promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking, after they lost to Southampton in the play-off final last season.
The club’s aim to return to the top-flight this season, and the possibility that they remain in the Championship, makes it difficult to predict what will happen with the players who are currently set to leave the club next summer.
As it stands, Junior Firpo, Josuha Guilavogui, and Sam Byram are all due to be out of contract, whilst Manor Solomon and Joe Rothwell’s loans will expire.
This means that, with Firpo and Byram, Leeds could potentially lose their two main options at left-back, which may be why they are now reportedly eyeing a new player in that position.
Leeds United eyeing Championship defender
According to the Sunday Mirror (November 10, page 69), as relayed by Sports View, Leeds United are interested in signing Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin.
The report claims that the ‘highly-rated’ full-back is attracting interest from elsewhere amid his strong form for the Black Cats in the Championship this season, with the Whites one of the sides keeping tabs on his progress.
It states, however, that Sunderland have no intention of cashing in on the English gem in the upcoming January transfer window, whilst they are also desperate to keep hold of Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg.
The team from Wearside are currently two points above Leeds, in first place in the second tier, and do not want to lose any of their top players during a promotion push.
This may not be a huge issue for the Whites, however, as it could make more sense for them to make a swoop for the former Tottenham Hotspur man at the end of the season, when Byram and Firpo could both potentially be on their way out of Elland Road.
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If Sunderland fail to achieve promotion, Leeds could attempt to convince them to part ways with Cirkin, who could come in to brilliantly replace Firpo down the left flank.
Junior Firpo's form for Leeds this season
The former Barcelona full-back is currently suspended for another two games, after missing the win over QPR on Saturday, after being charged with violent conduct retrospectively for leaning his head into a Millwall player in the 95th minute of their defeat at The Den.
It was an error in judgement, to say the least, from the 28-year-old star and he will now have to watch on from the sidelines for the next two matches after the break.
Firpo has, however, enjoyed a strong start to the season with his performances on the pitch, as he has established himself as a quality option at left-back at Championship level.
The left-footed ace has started 13 of the club’s 15 games in the division this season, only missing out on two matches through suspension, one through accumulating five bookings and the other due to his violent conduct charge.
Appearances
13
Assists
3
Pass accuracy
83%
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.8
Duel success rate
55%
As you can see in the table above, Firpo has been an active defender for Leeds, constantly putting his foot in to make tackles and interceptions for his team on the left side.
He has also provided a creative spark for Farke on the left, with three assists, and held his own in physical duels with opposition players, winning just over half of his battles.
However, he is reportedly the second-highest earner – behind Patrick Bamford – at the club on £60k-per-week and it remains to be seen whether or not the club would want to extend his deal on those terms, particularly if they remain in the second tier, and that is why Cirkin could be needed.
Cirkin would brilliantly replace Firpo
Leeds could brilliantly replace Firpo by signing the Sunderland left-back in the summer transfer window next year, because he would be able to hit the ground running at Elland Road.
It would almost be a perfect signing for the Whites in many respects. Firstly, the Black Cats star only turns 23 next year and has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve during his time in West Yorkshire.
Secondly, he is a proven performer at Championship level, with 91 appearances in all competitions for Sunderland, who would not need any time to adapt to the division.
Finally, Cirkin’s performances on the pitch this season show that he has the quality to come in and brilliantly replace Firpo, should he move on from Elland Road next summer when his contract expires.
The 22-year-old dynamo was recently described as “the best full-back in the Championship” by journalist Josh Bunting, and it is hard to argue with that assessment given the quality of his displays – currently leading all full-backs in the league in tackles and interceptions.
Appearances
15
13
Goals + assists
3
4
Duels won per game
7.6
6.7
Tackles made per game
3.4
2.6
Interceptions per game
1.8
1.2
Duel success rate
56%
55%
As you can see in the table above, Cirkin has been in incredible form as a defensive force at left-back for Sunderland, outperforming Firpo in a host of key metrics.
He has also produced a similar number of goal involvements from left-back, which suggests that the two players offer a similar threat at the top end of the pitch.
Therefore, Cirkin could be a brilliant replacement for Firpo because he has the potential to come in as an upgrade defensively, whilst being six years younger and having more time on his hands to develop and improve.
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