Barcelona: 5 interesting facts about the Catalans' newest signing Junior Firpo

After months of speculation linking Barcelona with the signature of Junior Firpo, the Catalans have finally completed a move for the 22-year-old in a deal worth €18m plus a potential €12m in add-ons.

This would come as very welcome news for fans of the Blaugrana, as the defending LaLiga champions had been without a quality backup to Jordi Alba at left-back for the last few seasons which proved detrimental to their chances of success.

The 22-year-old Firpo garnered attention for his performances with Real Betis last season, playing an integral role as Los Verdiblancos finished in a respectable 10th position and reached the semifinal of the Copa del Rey.

He made 24 league appearances last season, impressing with his displays on the left side of the defense. His exciting forays into opposition territory drew praise and he brought his attacking prowess to the fore in the 4-3 win over Barcelona at the Nou Camp, providing an assist and also scoring a goal.

Though still a bit rough on the edges, the Santo Domingo native is still quite young and has a lot of room for improvement. He would undoubtedly benefit from the presence of multiple world-class and established players on the Barcelona training ground.

With a few days left until the start of the new LaLiga season, Barcelona have plugged the one hole in their squad and can look forward to next season with optimism.

Firpo, who would provide competition for Jordi Alba at left-back, has chosen the number 24 jersey as his own.

In this piece, we look at five interesting facts about Firpo.

#1 He started his playing career as a winger

Firpo (L) started his career as a winger

This is a rather recurring theme among modern full-backs, with players like Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Marcelo having started their careers further up the field before changing their role.

In his younger years, while playing for local teams like Atletico Benamiel and Tiro Pichon, he was usually deployed as a winger before being converted into a full-back at Real Betis. This helps explain his explosiveness on the wing and his attacking impetus which sometimes comes at the expense of his defensive duties.

#2 Set to become the 25th player to represent both Barcelona and Real Betis

He could join Marc Bartra among others in representing both Barcelona and Real Betis

Both clubs have done a lot of business over the years, with 25 players having donned the colors of the two teams.

Junior Firpo would join an illustrious list that includes the likes of Marc Bartra, Cristian Tello, Martin Montoya, and Sergio Garcia among others.

#3 Despite being born in the Dominican Republic, he represents Spain in international competitions

Spain v Germany - 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Final

Firpo was a part of the Spanish squad that triumphed in the U-21 Euros in Italy over the summer.

He is a Spanish citizen, having moved to Malaga at the age of six. While he represented the Dominican Republic in a friendly against Brazil U-23 in October 2015, he remains eligible for a call-up to the senior national team of Spain, as the match was in an unofficial capacity.

#4 First player born in the Dominican Republic to play for Barcelona

Real Betis Balompie v Valencia - Copa del Rey Semi-Final

Earlier in his career, Junior Firpo became the first Dominican-born player to feature in LaLiga when he made his Real Betis debut.

There is, however, a unique twist to this tale, as Firpo is only the fourth Dominican to play in LaLiga.

However, the previous three; Heinz Barmettler (Real Valladolid, 2013-2014), Tano Bonnin ( Osasuna, 2016-2017) and Mariano Diaz (Real Madrid) were not born in the country, giving Firpo his place in history.

#5 He was very close to giving up on football before Real Betis came calling

He almost quit football before signing for Real Betis

Junior Firpo was very much a slow starter, and admitted to Marca that playing in the lower leagues of Spain at the age of 18 while watching players his age making their professional debuts on TV was depressing.

He even admitted to telling his girlfriend that if no academy signed him at the end of the 2015 season, he would hang up his boots. Real Betis came calling on the last day of the season and four years later, he is on the verge of making history with Barcelona.