Lucas Perri’s absence from Leeds United’s win over Sunderland sent fans into a frenzy this week — and the real story behind it is even messier than anyone expected.
Why Perri Was Missing
According to Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Graham Smyth, Perri was left out of the matchday squad with what the club described as a knock, though he remained with the squad in the US. Nothing sinister, no refusal to play — just Leeds being cautious with a goalkeeper whose Torino move has been dragging on for weeks and is now, finally, close to completion.
A Move That’s Been Anything But Simple
Here’s where it gets interesting. Perri’s exit to Torino isn’t some clean, straightforward departure — it’s been a genuine rollercoaster. Reports from Football Italia revealed the move actually stalled entirely over a dispute involving the goalkeeper’s agent commission, delaying a medical that had originally been scheduled for last Tuesday. SportMediaSet’s Orazio Accomando later reported a rebooked medical date in Turin, only for Torino to also be dealing with an outgoing keeper of their own, Alberto Paleari, on their side of the deal.
Despite the chaos, personal terms between Perri and Torino were reportedly agreed months ago on a four-year contract, with the two clubs settled on a season-long loan carrying an option to buy. Fabrizio Romano confirmed as much last week, stating the final details were being sorted before Leeds moved to complete their pursuit of a certain England international.
The Real Reason Behind the Exit
This isn’t really about a knock at all — it’s about Perri simply running out of road at Elland Road. The Brazilian arrived last summer for around £15.6 million from Lyon with every intention of being Daniel Farke’s long-term No. 1, but lost his place to Karl Darlow back in January and finished the season restricted largely to cup football, including the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea.
Speaking on the situation earlier this year, Farke didn’t hide his sympathy for the goalkeeper: “I have so much respect for Lucas and it’s been difficult season for him because he came in relatively late in pre-season, was injured, played in a few games, and was injured again.”
Enter James Trafford
None of this is happening in isolation. Leeds are edging closer to a deal worth up to £40 million for Manchester City’s James Trafford, with the England international having already given his approval to the move. As the second game of Leeds’ US tour kicked off, the two clubs remained close to a full agreement, according to Smyth’s latest reporting.
Once that deal is finalized, Perri’s departure is expected to be rubber-stamped almost immediately — leaving Leeds facing an unusual situation where all three of the goalkeepers who started last season under contract could be gone within weeks of each other, following Darlow’s earlier move to Manchester United.
What’s Left to Sort at Elland Road
Perri and Trafford aren’t the only pieces of business still in motion. Farke’s side are also targeting reinforcements at left-back, where Gabriel Gudmundsson remains the only senior specialist, and up front, after missing out on Levante forward Carlos Espi to Real Madrid and losing Dominic Calvert-Lewin to a pre-season injury that kept him out of the Sunderland win.
Bottom line: Perri’s Leeds exit was never simple, and it’s not over yet — but with Trafford’s arrival gathering pace and the agent dispute reportedly resolved, expect an announcement on both goalkeepers sooner rather than later. Whether Leeds can now finish the job at left-back and up front before the window shuts is the next big question at Elland Road.
