Leeds United began their pre-season schedule with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Harrogate Town on Friday night. Junior Firpo opened the scoring in the first half, followed by goals from Georginio Rutter and Sam Chambers in the second half.
Daniel Farke and his team have now traveled to Germany to prepare for two more friendlies, which will be held behind closed doors. Fans are advised not to travel for these matches.
Leeds will conclude their pre-season preparations with a match against La Liga side Valencia at Elland Road on August 3, a week before their Championship opener against newly-promoted Portsmouth.
Jayden Bogle has become Leeds United’s latest signing, joining from Sheffield United over the weekend. He has now joined Farke’s squad in Germany. As the new season approaches, we have summarized the latest transfer news and rumors surrounding Leeds and their Championship rivals.
Leeds are reportedly considering a deal for PEC Zwolle defender Anselmo Garcia MacNulty, according to Football Insider. The 21-year-old plays as a left-back, a position currently held by Firpo, who is Farke’s first choice. Firpo has been linked with a move to Spanish side Real Betis, which has already secured deals for Marc Roca and Diego Llorente this summer.
Farke emphasized that Firpo remains a crucial part of his plans for the 2024-25 season. Following the win over Harrogate, Farke stated: “I never made a secret out of it that I think that Junior Firpo on this level is an outstanding full-back, with his experience, with his technical ability, with his strength going forward.
He is able to assist, he is able to score. He showed this again in this little bit more advanced role which I think also suits him a little bit. He is one of the more experienced lads in my group and for that he is also a key player in my thoughts of going forward. Of course he will be important.”
Leeds are reportedly exploring the left-back market, with Garcia MacNulty on their radar. The 21-year-old has a Spanish father and an Irish mother and is a Republic of Ireland youth international. Raised in Spain, he joined the Real Betis academy as a youngster before moving to VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. He signed for Zwolle last summer, scoring two goals and providing two assists in 32 appearances.
