Barcelona have reportedly reached an agreement with Real Betis for the signing of Junior Firpo, and he could even undergo his medical on Saturday.
The Catalan giants needed to address the left-back position this summer as they have relied heavily on Jordi Alba in recent seasons with no quality depth or competition for places.
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That is reflected in the fact that the Spanish stalwart made 54 appearances across all competitions last season, and so it was crucial for coach Ernesto Valverde to sign another left-back this summer to be able to rest him when necessary.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Firpo has emerged as the solution and it’s claimed that while Betis were demanding €25m for their star, Barcelona may well have negotiated the structure of the deal to pay €18m plus €7m in bonuses, while the 22-year-old is said to be set to sign a five-year contract.
Further, as a major indication as to when he could even be officially announced as a Barca player, it’s added in the report that he could undergo his medical on Saturday.
In turn, it looks as though the reigning La Liga champions have identified their fix at left-back, and while in the more immediate future Firpo will hope to displace Alba, he’ll surely now be considered the long-term replacement for the 30-year-old.
He certainly ticks all the right boxes to do so, as he has shown during his stint in Spain that he can defend and has the energy and tenacity to get up and down the left flank to offer width and an attacking threat both with his delivery from the left flank and as a goalscoring threat himself.
That makes him an ideal fit for the Barcelona style and system, and it sounds as though he is now on the cusp of making the switch to the Nou Camp.
