Leeds United have two players whose contracts are nearing expiration, making them eligible to sign pre-contract agreements once the January transfer window opens in a couple of months.
Junior Firpo and Sam Byram are entering the final year of their contracts, but talks about extensions will take place when the time is right. Right now, unless there are any undisclosed extension clauses, both full-backs are on track for their contracts to expire next June.
Byram faced a similar situation last year but activated a one-year extension due to the number of appearances he made. On the other hand, allowing Firpo to leave for free after investing between £10 million and £15 million to sign him from Barcelona would be a tough financial hit.
Carlton Palmer weighs in on pending Leeds free agents
Former Leeds midfielder Carlton Palmer weighed in on how he sees the situation between the Whites and their two pending free agents. If there are no clauses that trigger an extension, the Leed need to make a decision soon on what their plan is for Firpo and Byram.
Should an extension not be on the table, Palmer believes Leeds should start looking for replacements beginning in January.
“Junior Firpo and Sam Byram, who are under contract for another season, were not foremost in his mind. They have both played a really big part at the start of the season, Byram making four appearances and Firpo being a part of five.
“Unless there is undisclosed extension triggers that we don’t know about, then we’ll have to wait and see,” Palmer told Football League World.
“Obviously, they could sign pre-contract deals in January, but I’m sure Daniel Farke rates the two players really highly, they’re both great options for the squad.
“He won’t want to lose those players for nothing, that’s for sure… In particular, you won’t want to lose someone like Firpo for free after paying £10-15m to acquire him from Barcelona. They’ve already made significant starts for Leeds United this season, but that’s the problem when you’re a manager, there’s always something ongoing or pressing…
“The one thing that will happen is that Farke will sit down and speak to the Leeds hierarchy and if they do not extend these players’ contracts, they’ll already be trying to identify the players they’ll look to bring in come January. These decisions will determine the outcome of the season. They need to get it right.”
