Leeds now enquire over deal for “pure class” £5m defender

Leeds United have now made an approach to sign a defender who’s “pure class”, and he could be available for a fee of just £5m, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.

Leeds eyeing new defender amid Firpo uncertainty

Junior Firpo played a key role in the Whites’ promotion, collecting four goals and ten assists in 32 Championship games, but the left-back could now be heading for the exit door, amid widespread links with La Liga side Real Betis.

While Firpo is capable of making a real impact from an attacking point of view, former Leeds man Paul Robinson believes it may be the right decision to let the defender leave this summer, given his previous struggles in the top flight.

Robinson said: “Firpo, I’ve got my concerns about. I think he’s been excellent in the Championship. But some players, the Championship is their level, and in the Premiership, before he was exposed defensively, he was well out of position many times, susceptible to goals, and teams targeted him, and I think the step-up was maybe too much for him.”

In the Premier League, Daniel Farke’s side may have to be a bit more pragmatic than they were last season, which means the manager is looking to bring in a new left-back, who is defensively solid, rather than a threat going forward.

According to Jacobs, in an update on X, Leeds have now made an approach to sign Aston Villa’s Alex Moreno, submitting an enquiry about a deal for the left-back, who is also attracting interest from Burnley and a number of unnamed La Liga clubs.

With Moreno’s Villa contract set to expire in 2026, he is set to be available for around £5m this summer, making him an affordable option for the Championship title-winners.

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“Pure class” Moreno impressed during Nottingham Forest loan

Having been deemed surplus to requirements by Unai Emery, the defender was shipped out on loan to Nottingham Forest last season, and the Spaniard managed to impress at times, with writer Lee Clarke describing his performances as “pure class”.

Clarke also added: “I confess I was uncertain about his hamstring history when he signed but there have been no ill effects in that sense so far. Moreno is established on the left in the team now and he’s a 7/10 at the very least in every single game.”

That said, the 32-year-old, who has the same agent as Illan Meslier, went on to play less of a prominent role as the season went on, often being left on the bench by Nuno, which suggests he was unable to maintain his initial levels of performance.

As such, there are doubts over whether Moreno would be a worthwhile signing for Leeds, but he could be an upgrade on Firpo from a defensive standpoint, having outperformed the left-back across some key metrics over the past year.