Leeds United Close to Signing James Trafford from Manchester City
Leeds United’s goalkeeping reshuffle is gathering pace, and it now looks like only the final details stand between James Trafford and Elland Road.
The club are closing in on the Manchester City goalkeeper, with talkSPORT reporting on Thursday that a deal is moving forward. Trafford returned to the Etihad last summer but has barely had a look-in since Gianluigi Donnarumma’s arrival shut the door on regular first-team minutes. At 23, he needs games. Leeds are ready to offer them.
The key to unlocking that move lies in Italy.
Perri exit opens the door
Leeds have entered negotiations with Torino over Lucas Perri, and that deal is edging towards completion. The Serie A side have made the Brazilian their top goalkeeping target for this window and, according to Fabrizio Romano, only a few details remain before an agreement is sealed.
Perri, who had a 12-month stint at Lyon before joining Leeds, is understood to be keen on a switch to Italy. Torino initially tried to structure a loan with an option to buy for the 28-year-old, but Leeds are pushing for a permanent fee in the region of £8.5 million.
If that valuation is met, it does more than just tidy up the squad list. It accelerates Trafford’s arrival.
The England international is keen on the move to Elland Road, where he is expected to walk straight in as first-choice next season. Daniel Farke has admired the former Burnley man for some time and sees him as the long-term anchor between the posts.
Beating the competition
Leeds have had to hold their nerve. Trafford has not been short of admirers.
Newcastle came close to landing him 12 months ago and were again linked this summer, with their interest resurfacing as they weighed up options behind their current No.1. But no formal offer has arrived from St James’ Park, leaving Leeds in pole position.
That suits Farke. He wants his goalkeeper in early, embedded, and ready for the opening weekend.
Farke’s quiet rebuild
While the Trafford pursuit grabs the headlines, it has already been a busy window at Elland Road.
Farke has added Bosnian centre-back Tarik Muharemovic, a defender with the profile to grow into the Premier League, and snapped up Harry Wilson on a free transfer after his exit from Fulham. Both signings fit a clear pattern: players with top-flight experience or high ceilings, coming in without breaking the budget.
It follows a season in which Farke steadied a listing ship. Leeds finished 15th, nine points clear of the bottom three, their late-season form dragging them away from what threatened to become a full-blown relegation fight.
Survival brought breathing space. This summer is about using it.
Eyes on August
The margin for error will shrink again once the new campaign kicks off.
Leeds open their 2026/27 Premier League season away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, August 22, a fixture that will immediately test Farke’s reshaped side. Brentford, Brighton and Newcastle follow, a run that offers both jeopardy and opportunity.
Get Trafford through the door, bank the Perri money, bed in Muharemovic and Wilson, and Leeds will feel they have sharpened the spine of their squad.
The question now is simple: with a new No.1 on the way and a manager who has already proved he can keep them clear of danger, can Leeds turn survival into something more substantial?
