Leeds: Charlie Taylor could be a Firpo upgrade
The Whites have been linked with a swoop for the Burnley defender this summer.
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has been able to make four additions to his first-team squad during the summer transfer window so far…
Who have Leeds signed this summer?
The Whites have brought in Joe Rodon, versatile midfielder Ethan Ampadu, goalkeeper Karl Darlow, and Sam Byram to bolster their defensive options, and all three of the outfield arrivals featured in the 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City on Saturday.
Rodon was the most recent signing as the central defender joined from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan deal last week.
There could be further movement in that area of the pitch, though, as the Yorkshire-based outfit were recently touted with an interest in Burnley full-back Charlie Taylor, who could be available if the Clarets are able to source a replacement before next month’s deadline.
How good is Charlie Taylor?
The former Leeds academy graduate, who moved to Turf Moor from Elland Road in 2017, is a proven Championship full-back who also has bags of Premier League experience.
He played 133 top-flight matches for Burnley and played a big role in their promotion back to the big time last season with 33 appearances in multiple positions during the title-winning success.
Taylor, who can play at left-back or centre-back, could come in as a huge upgrade on current Whites flop Junior Firpo for Farke this season.
The former Barcelona dud has been linked with a move away from Yorkshire before the end of the window and it is not hard to understand why the club want to jettison him from the squad when you consider his disappointing performances last term.
Firpo averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.55 across 19 Premier League outings, which was a worse score than a whopping 21 of his teammates managed, and only won 50% of his physical contests throughout the campaign.
The 26-year-old liability failed to produce consistently impressive performances and failed to dominate opposition attackers when it came to competing in battles to win the ball for his side.
Taylor, however, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 over his 33 Championship matches for Burnley – a score that would have placed him fourth within the Leeds squad – and won an eye-catching 63% of his duels.
The £27k-per-week dynamo, who was once described as “underrated” by journalist Josh Bunting, also produced solid displays in spite of his side’s relegation during the 2021/22 Premier League campaign as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85 and came out on top in 62% of his battles.
These statistics show that Taylor performed to a significantly higher level within the context of the top-flight whilst his showings for the Clarets last season in the Championship also prove that he can deliver quality on a regular basis for a team chasing promotion.
The versatile battler is capable of dominating attackers by using his physical attributes to come out on top in duels in a way that Firpo has been unable to do for Leeds. Therefore, Farke could improve his defence by securing a deal to sign the English dynamo to replace the former LaLiga dud.
