Leeds United have made a strong start to the summer transfer window, but Daniel Farke and the club’s recruitment team still have plenty of work to do before the new Premier League season gets underway.
The Whites began their recruitment drive by signing Harry Wilson on a free transfer before following it up with a £34m move for Sassuolo centre-back Tarik Muharemovic.
Another marquee addition arrived on Thursday, with James Trafford completing a club-record £45m switch from Manchester City to become Leeds’ new first-choice goalkeeper.
Not every pursuit has gone to plan, though. Leeds missed out on Julian Brandt after the Germany international opted to join Ajax instead of making the move to Elland Road.
Alongside their incoming business, Leeds are also working to trim the squad and balance the books through player sales. However, one expected departure now appears likely to take longer to complete than the club had initially anticipated.
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Leeds United exit set to get delayed
With the arrival of James Trafford, Leeds have sorted out one of the priorities for Daniel Farke, who has insisted on the importance of having a top-class number 1.
The 23-year-old’s arrival was expected to immediately trigger Lucas Perri’s exit, with Torino ready and waiting to sign him on a loan with an option to buy.
However, according to Sky Sports News reporter Zinny Boswell, Perri’s departure may take longer than previously expected.
The Brazilian is currently recovering from a minor injury, and Torino will look to finalise the deal once that is resolved.
Torino have an agreement in place with Leeds to sign him on a loan-to-buy deal, and have thrashed out personal terms with the goalkeeper too.
However, the Italian club want to wait before Perri is completely fit and ready to undergo a rigorous medical ahead of joining the Serie A club.
Lucas Perri never convinced anyone at Leeds United
When Leeds United signed the Brazilian last summer, he was viewed as the long-term solution to the club’s goalkeeping problems and the man expected to make the number one shirt his own for years to come.
However, it quickly became clear that there were aspects of his game that still needed significant improvement if he was to establish himself as Leeds’ first-choice goalkeeper.
A series of costly mistakes that led to dropped points eventually saw him lose Daniel Farke’s trust, with Karl Darlow taking over as the club’s preferred option for the second half of the campaign.
There were calls for Leeds to remain patient and give him another season to prove himself. But with Farke determined to bring in a goalkeeper capable of making an immediate impact in the Premier League, it became increasingly obvious that his time at Elland Road was coming to an end.
