Junior Firpo’s time at Elland Road is coming to an end. It’s been revealed that Firpo has agreed a deal to sign for Real Betis and now we’re simply waiting for the official announcement from Spain.
It leaves Daniel Farke with a huge void at left-back going into next season, especially given the fact that Sam Byram is yet to renew his contract despite having been offered a new one ahead of next season.
There are several left-backs linked with Leeds United right now. Some of the names have got the Whites faithful excited whilst other names have done little for them.
Among those linked are the likes of Kostas Tsimikas and Hugo Bueno; the latter in particular has been in headlines of late, with reports that Leeds United and Feyenoord are battling to sign Bueno from Wolves.
Another name mentioned is Reinildo Mandava.
Atletico de Madrid player Reinildo Mandava during a Copa del Rey game against Barcelona.
Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Update on Reinildo Mandava’s Atletico Madrid future amid links to Leeds United
Ahead of his contract in Spain expiring, Leeds United have been linked with a move for Mandava. The 31-year-old has been a key player for Diego Simeone’s side since his 2022 move from Lille having made 103 total appearances for the club, scoring twice and grabbing just the one assist.
But Mandava’s time with the Spanish club has officially come to an end. Atletico have been knocked out of the Club World Cup despite a 1-0 win over Botafogo on Tuesday, and TeleMadrid report that Mandava is among those to have officially played his last game for the club.
It was a tricky final season at the club for Mandava who played 19 times in La Liga. Though the 31-year-old is bound to have plenty of options this summer: just last summer, Man United were interested in a move for Mandava, highlighting the quality he has.
Leeds United player Junior Firpo during a Championship match against Middlesbrough.
Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Why Reinildo Mandava is Leeds United’s dream replacement for Junior Firpo
There’s no doubting that Firpo played a key role last season. But many Leeds United fans have mixed feelings about Firpo, remembering how mixed his previous performances in the Premier League were, and so there were huge doubts about whether or not he’d be able to deliver this time round.
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Mandava meanwhile is a player who’s played top flight football for the bulk of his career, making 66 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille before, having also made 25 Champions League appearances in his career.
What’s more is that Mandava proved more defensively solid than Firpo. In the 2022/23 season at Atletico, Mandava’s most-involved season in La Liga, he trumped Firpo for Interceptions-per-game and tackles-per-game.
Stat (league) Firpo in 24/25 Mandava in 22/23
Interceptions PG 1.2 1.4
Tackles PG 2.1 3
Dribbled past PG 0.8 0.5
Clearances PG 2.9 2.4
Going into the Premier League, Leeds United are inevitably going to do a lot more defending than when they were in the Championship. So for Farke, having a left-back like Mandava who’s experienced in top flight football, and defensively more solid than the likes of Firpo, could give his side that much-needed stability down the left flank for next season.