With left-backs a rare commodity these days, it’s not surprising to see some of the best teams in the world preparing to fight for the few that will be available out there next summer.
One of those is expected to be Real Betis’ Junior Firpo, a reported long-term target for both Manchester City and Real Madrid.
With Benjamin Mendy’s fitness concerns a recurring problem this season, Pep Guardiola has had to use players such as Aymeric Laporte and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the role throughout the campaign, highlighting their need for a left-back in the summer.
With a €50m release clause in his contract, Junior is an attainable target for most big clubs, which means the 22-year-old will probably leave Betis in the summer.
However, that isn’t something he’s worrying about just yet, as he explained to Estadio Deportivo over the weekend in a long interview.
He said, when asked of Manchester City and Real Madrid’s interest: “Right now, this isn’t entering my head. I’m someone who, until stuff happens, doesn’t believe anything. Personally, I don’t know anything. I don’t speak to my agent during the season; I only call him when it’s over.
“It’s nice that things are said, things come out… But right now, what really interests me is this final stretch of the season and reach our goals with Betis.”
The newspaper, far from happy with his reply, pushed the matter a little bit further by asking Junior if he would like to play in the Premier League down the line.
He answered: “To me, the Premier League seems really good, a really competitive competition, even if I think La Liga is the best in the world. In my humble opinion, I see them as equal. Would I like to play in the Premier League in the future, why not? But for now, I’m focused on Betis”.
So you’re telling Manchester City there’s a chance?
