Farke could ditch Firpo in Leeds swoop for £30k-p/w Premier League man
Leeds United lost valuable depth in the full-back position when they decided to send Djed Spence back to his parent club earlier this month.
The versatile defender had been deployed as a left-back and a right-back in the Championship for the Whites this season and has now returned to Tottenham Hotspur.
This has left Daniel Farke without an abundance of options in the number two and three positions heading into the second half of the campaign.
Journalist Graeme Bailey recently said that he has heard Burnley full-back Charlie Taylor's name mentioned in connection to a possible move back to Leeds this month and stated that he thinks a left-back will arrive at Elland Road.
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It was reported by Foot Mercato in November that Real Betis were interested in a deal for Junior Firpo, who they claimed wanted a move away from Yorkshire.
Farke could now ruthlessly ditch the Spanish defender, if that interest is still there, by securing a deal for Taylor to replace him before the end of the window. Whilst it would not solve the depth issue, it could improve the squad.
Firpo's last 18 months in numbers
The former Barcelona left-back has only made six appearances in the Championship so far this season and has been named in the starting XI once.
He has averaged 1.8 tackles and interceptions combined and 1.2 clearances per game for the Whites, to go along with a duel success rate of 55%.
Last season, Firpo made 19 appearances and started 14 of those games in the Premier League as Leeds were relegated from the top-flight.
The 27-year-old dud was dribbled past 1.2 times per game and only won 50% of his duels as opposition players found it far too easy to get the better of him week-in-week-out.
The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Taylor
Farke could allow Firpo to move on by signing Taylor as the Burnley left-back's form over the last 18 months suggests that he has more to offer than the current Leeds defender.
The £30k-per-week battler played 33 times in the Championship last term as his side romped their way to the title and he started 17 of those matches.
Appearances
16
Goals
One
Assists
One
Duel success rate
53%
Tackles per game
1.6
Vincent Kompany hailed the talented gem's versatility, as Taylor was deployed as a left-back and a centre-back, and described him as being "quick and strong".
This means that Farke would bring in a player who can offer him depth in multiple positions, as the Clarets ace could be used at full-back or as cover on the left side of the defence.
In the Championship last term, Taylor was only dribbled past 0.2 times per game and won an impressive 63% of his duels across the campaign.
This shows that the experienced defender was able to dominate opponents in physical contests and did not allow forwards to go past him with ease.
Firpo has struggled with both of those aspects of defending and that is why the Burnley battler could come in as an upgrade on the Leeds number three.
Therefore, if Leeds could convince Taylor to make the drop back down to the Championship to enjoy a second spell at Elland Road then Farke could ditch Firpo in the process.