Leeds transfer news: Junior Firpo eyed by Real Betis to replace Alex Moreno

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Real Betis are reportedly interested in signing Leeds United defender Junior Firpo as a potential replacement for Alex Moreno, who looks set to join Aston Villa in the coming days.

According to El Desmarque, the 26-year-old is on Betis’ radar as Moreno looks set to complete a £13m move to Villa, with Firpo a player who appeals to the La Liga side given that the Leeds defender came through the Sevilla-based club before moving on to FC Barcelona.

Firpo joined Betis as an 18-year-old from his native Dominican Republic where the fullback spent two seasons impressing in Los Verdiblancos’ senior team before being snapped up by Barcelona, with the defender joining Leeds in 2021, where the left-back has endured a mixed spell.

Labelled as ‘crazy’ by Ian Wright, Firpo’s performances have left Leeds supporters largely frustrated given how inconsistent the former Spanish youth international has been over the past 18 months, with injury this season restricting the defender to just four appearances.

Indeed, with Pascal Struijk being preferred in the left-back position by Jesse Marsch and Maximilian Wober just arriving from RB Salzburg, a strong case can be made that Firpo could return to Betis this January, especially with Moreno set to sign for Villa soon.

Whilst wages might be an issue for Betis, the £13m coming in from Villa will be a huge financial boost to the La Liga side, and these funds could be used to bring Firpo back to Seville, with a loan deal arguably the best option for all parties.

Betis signing Firpo makes plenty of sense for Leeds

Firpo’s time at Leeds has been unusual, to say the least. And the defender returning to Seville with his former club Betis could be a great move for everyone involved, with Leeds now stacked in the left-back position following the January arrival of Wober.

With Firpo also playing his best football with Betis, returning home to Spain could be perfect for the 26-year-old, who might finally rediscover his best form with the Seville-based club if a deal can be arranged in the coming weeks.