According to a recent report by ESPN, Liverpool are among a whole host of clubs monitoring the progress of Real Betis left-back Junior Firpo. The same source has also revealed that the Reds will face stiff competition from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester City and Arsenal in pursuit of the La Liga defender.
Firpo has been plagued by some hamstring problems of late and is currently focussing on working his way back to full fitness. The Spanish left-back penned a new contract with the La Liga outfit back in August last year, and his new deal is set to run out in the summer of 2023.
ESPN has also mentioned that he has a €50m release clause so Betis will be under no pressure to sell unless one of the interested parties decided to match that fee.
The Spanish defensive ace has put in some eye-catching displays for Quique Setién’s side during this campaign. He has featured in 21 matches for the La Liga side this term, scoring three while grabbing two assists across all competitions. More importantly, Firpo has made an average of 1.6 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per match this season (Stats taken from Whoscored).
The Betis left-back has decent pace and is a terrific defender in his own half. He is a hard man to beat down the wide areas and can also contribute with goals and assists going forward. The Spaniard will be an ideal backup to Andrew Robertson at Anfield and can even compete for a place in Jurgen Klopp’s first-team.
Liverpool currently have both Robertson and Alberto Moreno vying for a starting berth at the red half of Merseyside. However, Moreno’s contract runs out at the end of this campaign which would mean that Klopp would need a decent replacement so that the Merseyside outfit has enough squad depth to win some silverware in the coming years.
At 22, Firpo still has a lot of room for improving his game and Klopp could be the perfect manager to make the most out of his talents. All in all, the La Liga prospect will be a great back-up option for the Reds in the left-back position.
