When the summer comes around, Leeds United are sure to revisit the goalkeeper position in the transfer market.
United’s recruitment during the summer and January windows came in for a lot of criticism. Some of it was justified, but a lot of it has proven to be nonsensical.
The vast majority of signings made by the 49ers since taking over have been a success. That hit-rate continued after promotion. But, the one signing unanimously seen as a ‘failure’ so far has been Lucas Perri.
Lucas Perri shines in Birmingham City FA Cup triumph – But question marks remain for Leeds United
The FA Cup presented Perri with a chance to show why Leeds were willing to part with £15.6million in the summer to sign him. And, he did just that with a strong performance.
Denying Jay Stansfield with an incredible, acrobatic save, Perri was then the hero in the shootout for Leeds. He dived low to deny Tommy Doyle as Leeds won 4-2 on spot-kicks. Perri’s teammates then flooded him to celebrate what was his best moment for the club so far.
While it was just the tonic for Perri, it doesn’t erase the long-standing concern us Leeds fans have between the sticks.
I doubt Daniel Farke will hastily ditch Karl Darlow as his most recent ‘number one’ now that Perri’s had one good performance. As a result, it begs the question of what Leeds do long-term in goal.
To me, the club should already be mapping out potential options to help Leeds cut losses on Perri. That is, unless he can quickly settle into the role as first choice and prove why he was bought in the final 12 games.
Manchester City’s James Trafford makes shock transfer admission – Leeds United surely on alert
If the club are scouring Europe for potential options in goal, one relatively close to home that should be on the radar is James Trafford.
Having left Burnley for Manchester City to the tune of £31million, the 23-year-old’s dream very quickly became a nightmare at the Etihad. A couple of wobbly early performances were followed by Man City splashing out on Gigi Donnarumma from PSG, who has quickly become the undisputed starter.
Trafford made a rare appearance in the FA Cup against Salford City at the weekend, producing one marvellous save to keep a clean sheet. But, his appearance prompted a brutally honest post-match interview where he was visibly unhappy with his situation.
“It wasn’t what I expected coming into the season,” he told the BBC. “It’s the reality and I have to give it my best shot. It’s the situation I’m in. We train every day but making saves, it’s good fun.”
As a result, it looks relatively clear that Trafford will be seeking transfer opportunities in the summer. He’s not going to sit around behind Donnarumma for much longer, after working his way back to the Premier League with a staggering season at Burnley behind him.
Leeds could, nay should be weighing up a move to sign Trafford. He’s demonstrated at Burnley that he’s more than good enough to play in the Premier League, and he’s only going to get better.
100%
Love
0%
Funny
0%
Wow
0%
Sad
0%
Angry
Post navigation