Another day in the summer transfer windows means another player is linked to Manchester United. However, this one may have some credibility because of the method used to report it. Real Betis fullback Junior Firpo is the latest in a long line of players to be linked to the Old Trafford club ahead of the start of a rebuild for the club.
Spanish publication AS has stated that Betis were currently dealing with United over the transfer of Firpo. Credit goes to Sport Witness for the translation. Normally, when United are linked to players, it seems that it has just happened to gain clicks rather than informing the public of something, whether it is happening, has happened or could be happening.
However, in this instance, that does not seem to be the case. This particular piece of information does not carry a story of its own in AS but is included in a piece written about Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in Giovani Lo Celso. The writer of the article is local to Betis, says Sport Witness, so this particular piece of news could carry some weight.
It has been stated that United are willing to pay between €25-€30 million for Firpo, who was born in the Dominican Republic but will represent Spain in the U21 Championships this summer. The 22-year-old is a left-back but can play as a defensive midfielder (on the left) also as a left-sided central defender. With United having only Luke Shaw at left-back, Firpo could add depth, competition and a rotation option.
Another Spanish publication, Diario de Sevilla, carries a similar claim about United’s interest in Firpo, written by another journalist in the Betis area, suggesting that United had taken the lead for the player, this time stating that an offer of more than €20 million would be offered for the player. It has also been stated that United have already entered the race the sign Firpo, offering a much smaller amount, trying their luck maybe, meaning they will need to raise their offer. All clubs will do this, not just United.
The fact that both claims from different people are so similar could suggest that the ‘leak’ came from Betis, which could suggest that this is true or that the club is trying to drum up interest for the player. We might see some movement in these claims in the coming weeks, keeping in mind that the transfer window may be open for domestic transfers but for international transfers, there is still more than two weeks to pass before they can be ratified.
Firpo was part of the Betis academy and has been playing for Betis B in the Spanish Segunda from the 2014/15 season to the 2017/18 season, making 14 appearances in the first team that season, scoring two goals. During the 2018/19 season, Firpo played 29 times in all competitions, scoring three goals, assisting five more. He played a total of 2,314 minutes of football in La Liga, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Europa League.
The 22-year-old is a player whose strengths include; holding onto the ball, passing (including key passes), through balls, dribbling, concentration, and his defensive contribution. Firpo also likes to play short passes, which may fit in with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s style of play in the future. The player clearly fits the talented youth bracket and has the ability to become a special player in the squad for United, whether he plays in rotation to Shaw or wrestles the left-back position from him.
It is good to see United looking at players other clubs would be looking at, turning them into potential Premier League players which may in
