Over the coming months, Leeds United will need to decide on a number of significant contracts for key players.

Several players, including Jamie Shackleton, Sam Byram, Stuart Dallas, and Liam Cooper, have contracts expiring at the end of the year, and it doesn’t seem like the first two will get extensions.

In the meantime, things are less certain for Byram and Shackleton. It would feel awkward to grant them new deals, especially if promotion is attained, considering how many injuries they have both sustained this term.

Junior Firpo is the lone member of the first squad whose contract is up for renewal in 2025, and reports surfaced today suggesting that he will not likely receive a new contract offer.

Last summer, Firpo was set to depart, but an injury and Daniel Farke’s intervention caused him to stay. This has shown to be a wise decision as Firpo will be a vital member of the team in 2024.

Leeds making right call with Firpo

Even though he missed the majority of the first half of the season, the 27-year-old left back has an amazing five assists this season.

After the start of the new year, Leeds has had a fantastic run of play, winning 12 of their 13 league games to climb to the top of the standings. His arrival into the team has coincided with this remarkable performance.

Still, it would be wise to decline to offer him a contract despite his recent upsurge in performance. It’s possible that his stock is at its greatest point at Leeds since he moved from Barcelona, even if it’s a division lower.

Leeds can sell him for a price that is somewhat close to the £12.8 million they paid to sign him because more teams are probably interested in him as a result.

Since Firpo has already shown he is not nearly ready for the Premier League, a quick upgrade is necessary for promotion, and Luca Netz has already been mentioned.

He would also be a big earner off the books if Leeds were to stay in the Championship, therefore it is difficult to imagine him staying for another season.