Leeds United Target James Trafford as Goalkeeping Reshuffle Begins

Leeds United’s goalkeeping reshuffle is gathering pace, and the picture is suddenly very clear. Lucas Perri is heading for the exit. James Trafford is being lined up to walk straight through the door.

The club are closing in on a deal for the Manchester City goalkeeper, with talkSPORT reporting on Thursday that negotiations are advanced as Leeds look to make Trafford their new No.1. The move has been building in the background; Perri’s situation in particular has brought it to the brink.

Perri is in talks over a switch to Torino, who have identified the Brazilian as their first-choice target this summer. The Serie A side initially tried to structure a loan with an option to buy, but Leeds are understood to be pushing for a permanent transfer in the region of £8.5 million. According to Fabrizio Romano, only minor details remain before the deal is signed off, and Perri himself is keen on a move to Italy after previous experience on the continent with Lyon.

Once that door closes, another opens. Perri’s departure is expected to accelerate Trafford’s arrival at Elland Road, with the England international eager to make the move and finally secure regular top-flight football.

Trafford returned to Manchester City last summer but has barely had a look-in since the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma at the Etihad. The pathway to Pep Guardiola’s first team has narrowed to almost nothing, and at 23, the former Burnley keeper needs more than cup cameos and training-ground plaudits.

He has not been short of admirers. Newcastle came close to landing him a year ago and revisited their interest this summer, yet, crucially, never put an offer on the table. Leeds did. And Daniel Farke has been waiting for this chance.

The Leeds manager has long admired Trafford, viewing him as the kind of modern, commanding goalkeeper who can anchor his side for years. Barring late drama, Trafford is set to start next season as Leeds’ first choice between the posts, a clear statement that Farke wants stability and authority in a position that has felt in flux.

Farke’s quiet rebuild

Behind the headline chase for Trafford, Farke has been steadily reshaping his squad.

Two new faces are already through the door. Bosnian centre-back Tarik Muharemovic has signed, adding height and aggression to the back line, while Harry Wilson has arrived on a free after leaving Fulham, bringing Premier League experience and set-piece quality to the attacking unit.

It fits a broader pattern. Farke is not tearing the squad apart, but he is tightening it, piece by piece. Last season he dragged Leeds away from danger, guiding them to 15th and ensuring the late months of the campaign were about survival achieved rather than disaster unfolding. Nine points clear of the bottom three in the end, Leeds finished with enough momentum to believe that this season can be about more than just staying afloat.

That belief will be tested early.

Leeds open their 2026/27 Premier League campaign away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, 22 August, a fixture that will immediately measure their composure and organisation. Brentford, Brighton and Newcastle follow, a run that offers both threat and opportunity for a side looking to put points on the board before the autumn grind sets in.

By then, the expectation inside Elland Road is that Trafford will be the man in gloves, Perri will be in Turin, and Farke’s vision for a calmer, more controlled Leeds will be a step closer to reality.

The question now is simple: with a new goalkeeper at the heart of it, can Leeds turn last season’s escape into the foundation of something far more ambitious?