Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo has hinted at eventually returning to former club Real Betis following a disappointing first season at Elland Road.
The Lowdown: Firpo disappointing so far for Leeds
The 25-year-old joined the Whites from Barcelona last summer, coming in as a direct replacement for the exit-bound Ezgjan Alioski.
Firpo has failed to hit the ground running for Leeds so far, though, with only 12 Premier League starts coming his way and a mixture of patchy form and injuries holding him back.
Indeed, the defender appears to have hinted about a potential move back to Spain, less than year after arriving in Yorkshire.
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The Latest: Firpo hints at Betis return
Speaking to DAZN [via Sport Witness], Firpo has said that he sees himself returning to Betis one day even though he is happy at Leeds for the time being, having spent the 2018/19 season with the Andalucian club.
The 25-year-old stated: “I would love to spend a lot of time here, but, well, in the end, the house always wins and I would like to return to Betis, obviously.”
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The Verdict: More required moving forward
Firpo arrived at Leeds last July as an exciting addition, with the glamour of signing a Barcelona player perhaps raising expectations, but there is no denying that he has been disappointing so far.
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While there have been moments of quality – he has one league assist to his name – he hasn’t delivered enough attacking output, while his defensive shortcomings have played a part in Leeds conceding 56 times in 25 league matches.
The hope is that the 6ft tall Firpo comes good over time and doesn’t become a forgotten man who swiftly returns to Spain after failing to thrive in the blood-and-guts nature of English football.
In other news, one journalist has provided a crucial update on Bielsa’s Leeds future. Read more here.