Junior Firpo: Arsenal's left back summer targert.

The 22-year-old has broken onto the scene in Spain in 2018 and has been earmarked as one to watch in the future

There is little doubt that Real Betis full-back Junior Firpo has been one of the revelations of the season in La Liga.

The 22-year-old Dominican Republic-born player was only handed his first-team debut in February but he has quickly made himself at home and has attracted the interest of many of Europe’s top clubs.

Having spent the first half of the 2017-18 season with the ‘B’ team, he was promoted to the senior squad for a Primera Division encounter with Deportivo La Coruna and provided the assist for the only goal of the game.

A week later, he was handed another start, this time against Real Madrid, and another assist followed, albeit in a 5-3 defeat.

“I still can’t believe I played in that match,” he said in the aftermath to El Decano Deportivo.

Until he sustained a ligament injury a fortnight before the end of the season, he played every minute for the Seville side, showing formidable versatility by turning out as a defender and a midfielder on the left, while also starting four games as a centre-back in a three-man rearguard.

“Dani Carvajal seems like a good player to mirror my game on: he attacks, defends and is very intense,” he said. “He’s what I’d like to become someday… And in the 2010 World Cup I really liked Brazil defender Michel Bastos because he was a winger turned into a full-back. These are my references.”

After a rather slow start to the new season, he has burst back into consciousness thanks to three goals in four matches. Indeed, he particularly stood out in Betis’ stunning 4-3 victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou, opening the scoring then providing the assist for Sergio Canales to score that proved the winner.

WHICH CLUBS ARE INTERESTED IN JUNIOR FIRPO?

Arsenal and Manchester City have both been linked with a potential swoop, but perhaps more realistic is the interest coming from Newcastle and Crystal Palace on a player who has a release fee of €50 million (£45m/$57m) written into his contract.

Firpo, meanwhile, has committed his future to his current employers, signing two new deals in 2017 and yet another in 2018, and indicating that he enjoys the lifestyle in Seville.

“My thoughts are now with Betis and I am very happy in Seville,” he told Real Betis media.

“My girlfriend is pregnant, we are going to have our child here in Seville, I am close to my family and my parents who are from Malaga – that is where I grew up.

“And Seville as a city, today in December with 18- or 20-degrees Celsius training, it is a marvel. Betis fans should be relaxed – I am very happy, calm and I want to continue here for a long time.

“It is true that there is interest from other clubs, but this does not concern me.”