Leeds United Pursue James Trafford After Perri's Near Torino Move
Leeds United are moving pieces on the board with purpose. One goalkeeper is heading for the exit, another is being lined up to walk straight through the door and into the No.1 shirt.
Lucas Perri is close to a move to Italy, a deal that is expected to unlock Leeds’ pursuit of Manchester City’s James Trafford. Torino have identified Perri as their priority target and, according to Fabrizio Romano, only minor details stand between the Brazilian and a switch to Serie A.
Leeds, for their part, have not rolled over. Torino initially pushed for a loan with an option to buy for the 28-year-old, who previously spent a year at Lyon before joining Leeds. The Yorkshire club are understood to be holding out for around £8.5million, a fee that would both reflect Perri’s standing and help finance the next phase of Daniel Farke’s rebuild.
Perri is keen on the move. Italy appeals, Torino are confident, and the sense inside Elland Road is that his departure is now a matter of timing rather than intent.
That timing matters, because it dovetails directly with Trafford.
The England international, who returned to the Etihad last summer, has been squeezed to the fringes since Gianluigi Donnarumma’s arrival. First-team minutes have been scarce. A year ago, he came close to joining Newcastle, and the Magpies’ interest flickered again this summer, but crucially no formal offer has landed on City’s desk.
Leeds have stepped into that gap. Reports on Thursday from talkSPORT outlined that the club are closing in on Trafford, with the 23-year-old understood to be keen on the move and Farke ready to install him as first choice between the posts next season. The German has admired the former Burnley keeper for some time and sees him as a cornerstone rather than a luxury.
Once Perri’s deal is sealed, the path for Trafford should be clear.
Farke’s rebuild gathers pace
It has already been a busy window at Elland Road. Farke, fresh from steering Leeds to 15th last season and clear of a relegation scrap by nine points, has wasted little time reshaping his squad.
Bosnian centre-back Tarik Muharemovic has arrived to add depth and aggression to the back line. Harry Wilson, available after leaving Fulham as a free agent, brings Premier League experience and creativity in the final third. Neither signing screams headline-grabber, but both fit the pattern: younger legs, sharper edges, a squad being tuned rather than torn apart.
Now comes the goalkeeper reset. Perri out, Trafford in. A clear statement about who guards the goal as Leeds try to move from survival mode to something more ambitious.
The fixture list offers no time for hesitation. Leeds open their 2026/27 Premier League campaign away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, August 22. Brentford, Brighton and Newcastle follow. It is a run that can bruise a team still finding itself—or launch one that has quietly done its work early in the summer.
By the time Farke leads his side out at the City Ground, he expects to know exactly who is standing behind his back four. All signs point to James Trafford. The only question now is how quickly Leeds can turn that expectation into a name on the teamsheet.
