Leeds United made a bold move last year when they decided to part ways with sporting director Victor Orta and brought in Daniel Farke as the club’s new head coach. This decision came following the team’s relegation from the Premier League, which was attributed in part to Orta’s management decisions.
Orta had replaced Marcelo Bielsa with Jesse Marsch and later brought in Javi Gracia as the club’s managers, but these changes failed to keep the team in the top division by the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
One particular move made by Orta that may have been overlooked was the sale of goalkeeper Elia Caprile, who has since thrived and is now considered better than Illan Meslier.
Caprile had initially been signed by Leeds United from Italian side Chievo in the January transfer window in 2020 under Bielsa’s management. He showed promise in the U21s and went on to play on loan for Serie C side Pro Patria before being sold to Serie B outfit Bari.
Since then, Caprile has excelled at Bari, catching the eye of Italian giants Napoli, who snapped him up before sending him on loan to Empoli. He has made a significant impact in the Serie A, with impressive statistics that demonstrate his ability as a shot-stopper.
Comparatively, Meslier has struggled in the Championship with Leeds, following two difficult seasons in the Premier League. His poor performance in terms of goals conceded compared to the post-shot xG value of the shots on his goal has been evident, highlighting Caprile’s superior abilities in goalkeeping.
