Leeds United are said to be closing in on another exit as they work to land a club-record deal. The Whites are preparing to spark their summer transfer window to life in a major way having snapped up Harry Wilson early on, while Tarik Muharemovic was brought in to replace Pascal Struijk, who was sold to Brighton.

The Whites are now said to be working on a glamorous deal in the form of Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford, who is likely to cost between £45million and £50million, meaning it would be a club-record deal for the Whites.

Daniel Farke needs a new starting goalkeeper after Karl Darlow left the club, while Illan Meslier’s departure also created the need for more depth at the position, and another goalkeeper in Lucas Perri now looks likely to leave.

Lucas Perri ‘agrees’ to leave Leeds United

Leeds signed Lucas Perri for £13.9million last summer with the view to him becoming their number one, but that did not prove to be the case. The Brazilian had done well at Lyon, but he did not convince in his 16 Premier League appearances, and Darlow went on to become first-choice, providing a sturdy pair of hands.

Perri knows a return to being the club’s number one is not on the table, especially if Trafford arrives as a record signing, and he is now said to be preparing to leave Elland Road as a result, meaning he will have only spent a year with the Whites.

According to journalist Orazio Accomando, Torino have now agreed a deal to sign Perri, and the club has already scheduled the player’s medical. A fee has not been mentioned, but Leeds are expected to make at least most of their initial investment back on the 28-year-old.

What is interesting is that Leeds will now be left only with 33-year-old Alex Cairns in terms of goalkeepers, with Meslier and Darlow having left at the end of last season. A youngster or two is likely to be called upon through pre-season, and at least one will likely have to stick around for the Premier League campaign, while Farke will surely sign another goalkeeper as well as Trafford, or whoever the new number one ends up being.

Perri was once dubbed the ‘best in the world’

While Leeds’ signing of Perri now looks a little odd, and obviously unsuccessful, the Brazilian was once in world-beating form at Lyon, which is why the Whites made the move.

At the time, Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca said: “At the moment, the best goalkeeper in the world is my goalkeeper, Lucas Perri. He has been playing very well. Defensively, he is very good. Offensively, he has improved a lot in the way he helps the team with the ball at his feet. To play our way, we need a goalkeeper who participates offensively. We worked and analysed together what needed to be improved. Lucas is a very balanced person and understood the importance of his participation in the game. He has improved a lot in this aspect.”

Perri had a much tougher time at Leeds, and Farke even said after a defeat to Newcastle United: “In this moment I can’t protect him (Perri) from the criticism. He should have saved it.” Perri had better moments, notably when he slotted in for a game in April, but his stay won’t go down as a successful one.

Former Arsenal and France midfielder Emmanuel Petit has caused serious uproar with some eye-opening comments about Harry Kane following the World Cup. The Three Lions were yet again unable to bring football home this summer, extending their wait for a major honour to 60 years.

Thomas Tuchel’s side reached the semi-finals, but were dumped out of the competition in dramatic fashion by age-old rivals Argentina, who scored twice in the final 10 minutes to cancel out Anthony Gordon’s opener.

In the immediate fallout of more heartbreak, a lot of blame fell on the manager, who had retreated to ultra-defensive tactics when England had hold of the match. But some players have also been subject to some finger-pointing themselves as of late.

Emmanuel Petit’s Eye-Opening Assessment of Harry Kane’s World Cup

While there is a belief among England fans that the team relied too heavily on the star quality of Jude Bellingham and Kane, thus prompting a concern that the team as a whole didn’t have what it takes to win trophies, Petit’s opinion on the latter is bound to cause a huge stir. He said, as per GOAL:

In a World Cup year, the Ballon d’Or mantle often gets awarded to a winning player. But with Spain lacking out-and-out superstars, the race to be named the best player in the world has never been so wide open.

Indeed, Lamine Yamal is considered the long-term heir to Lionel Messi’s throne at Barcelona. However, the teenage sensation was nowhere near his usual best this summer, while Player of the Tournament Rodri spent all season trying to fire up his engine with Manchester City as he showed signs of struggling following recovering from an ACL injury.

Harry Kane’s Incredible 2025/27 Season Deserved More

Kane enjoyed arguably the finest season of his career. Across all competitions, the talisman scored 61 goals in 51 appearances, including 36 in the Bundesliga alone to finish as the division’s top scorer, alongside 14 in the Champions League, 10 in the DFB-Pokal, and one more in the Supercup, helping Bayern to a domestic treble.

That prolific campaign was nonetheless overshadowed by continued disappointment in Europe’s premier competition, with Bayern being eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final, as the French side went on to retain their title against Arsenal in the final.

His summer with England followed a similarly bittersweet pattern, with the captain scoring six goals in seven appearances at the World Cup, yet unable to prevent a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina that left England to settle for third place after beating France.

Manchester United have enjoyed a proactive start to the summer transfer window, but will not rush into purchasing a third and final midfielder before the market closes.

The Red Devils are conducting a dramatic revamp in the centre of the park following the departure of veteran Casemiro. Michael Carrick has already seen Andrey Santos arrive from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans snapped up from rivals Aston Villa.

Man Utd splurged around £100million on those two additions but are known to be in the market for one more marquee signing in midfield for the 2026/27 campaign. Several names have been touted, with one Premier League star reportedly desperate to make the move to Old Trafford.

Carlos Baleba ‘very keen’ on Man Utd move

via Reuters

Brighton star Carlos Baleba has long been linked with a move to Man Utd. The Red Devils nearly signed the 22-year-old last summer, but were put off by the Seagulls’ lofty £100million valuation.

After an underwhelming campaign at the Amex Stadium, TEAMtalk report that the Brighton valuation has dropped to £70million, which could prove a more tempting offer for United.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has also provided the latest on the speculation. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano claimed that Baleba is ‘super keen’ on a move to the Theatre of Dreams with negotiating power in the hands of United.

He said: “Baleba is also a player who would be super keen on joining Manchester United.

“Already one year ago, Baleba wanted to go to Man Utd, but on this one, it’s on Man Utd to decide if they want to return in talks with Brighton or not.

“So, that’s the status around these players. That’s the status around these midfielders.”

Man Utd frustrate Roma with transfer hesitancy

via Reuters

With the confidence that the club is Baleba’s number one choice of destination, Man Utd will not rush for a move. The club are also considering a swoop for AS Roma star Manu Kone.

The French international could be available for £50million, which would provide a £20million saving on Baleba. Kone is believed to have reached an agreement in principle on personal terms with Man Utd, putting the Premier League side in a comfortable position once again.

The Red Devils’ lack of urgency is said to be frustrating Roma. The Corriere dello Sport claims that the Serie A giants are still waiting for an offer and are frustrated by the pace at which negotiations are proceeding.

Roma are not expected to offer Man Utd an ultimatum yet. Romano labelled that deal an ‘open story’ in his latest update.