Ex-manager fears Leeds have made £12m-plus blunder after what he’s seen from Firpo
Alex McLeish has suggested Leeds United made a mistake replacing Ezgjan Alioski with Junior Firpo during the summer transfer window.
The former Scotland manager, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, admitted the summer signing has seriously struggled to get to grips with the Premier League this season.
Firpo, 25, arrived for a fee of around £12.7million (€15million) from Barcelona this summer.
Meanwhile, fellow left-back Alioski left Elland Road to join Al Ahli on a free transfer at the end of his contract.
McLeish insisted the 29-year-old was a more than capable defender, having been converted from a winger by Marcelo Bielsa.
He admitted trying to replace him with Firpo had not gone to plan.
“We said about Alioski he was a converted wing-back converted from a left-winger,” McLeish told Football Insider’s Russell Edge.
“For a period of 10 years in France, that was happening a lot. They came out of France to teams in the likes of Italy and England, playing that wing-back, attacking role, because they weren’t great at defending.
“That was levelled at Alioski but I thought he grew into it.
“Bringing in Firpo, that sounded like a big plan and a good plan, coming from Barcelona. He’s struggled since he’s come in.
“Coping with the speed, the pace and the technical ability of the Premier League players has proved to be very tough for him.
“He’s either got work ahead of him or it might be too difficult for him.”
Firpo has started nine times in 12 Premier League appearances for Leeds so far.
He has already picked up five bookings, meaning he will miss Saturday’s clash with Arsenal.
In other news, Football Insider can reveal extent of Leeds United injury crisis as just eight senior players train.