Leeds United have now advanced talks to sign a £17m star who’s “one of the best in Europe” in his position, and they are tempted to trigger his release clause, according to a report.
Leeds in no rush to sign new goalkeeper
With Illan Meslier making a catalogue of errors last season, you may expect those at Elland Road will be eager to bring in a new goalkeeper, but Sky Sports News reporters Zinny Boswell and Keith Downie have revealed the Championship title-winners are prioritising other positions.
“Leeds United are in no rush to sign a goalkeeper as they assess potential targets. They have a long list of options, which includes Lyon’s Lucas Perri and Torino’s Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
“A goalkeeper would not need the same amount of time to settle in to Daniel Farke’s system, which is why the club are prioritising outfield players earlier in the window.”
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The Whites are “pushing” to complete a deal for a midfielder.
However, with a deal for Gabriel Gudmundsson over the line, the Whites now appear to have turned their attention towards bringing in a replacement for Meslier, with talks to sign a new goalkeeper recently progressing.
That is according to a report from Italy, which states Leeds are now tempted to pay the release clause in Milinkovic-Savic’s contract, which amounts to slightly over €20m (£17m) for clubs outside the Serie A.
The clause is available until the end of the month, so there is no urgent need for the newly-promoted side to make a move, but they will be wary of rival interest in the goalkeeper, with Serie A winners Napoli also being named as potential suitors.
Talks have advanced recently, but Daniel Farke’s side are still unsure whether they should cough up the £17m, and the situation should be monitored closely over the next few days.
Milnkovic-Savic among the “best” goalkeepers in Europe
Torino president Urbano Cairo holds the Serbian in very high regard, saying: “Milinkovic-Savic has a release clause in his contract, but these are things that can be changed. He’s a great goalkeeper, one of the best in Europe, and has improved so much.”
It is clear to see why the 28-year-old is so highly-rated too, having performed extremely well across a number of key statistics for goalkeepers over the past year.
|
Statistic |
Average per 90 |
|
Save percentage |
77.5% (93rd percentile) |
|
Goals against |
1.14 (75th percentile) |
|
Save % (penalties) |
57.1% (91st percentile) |
|
Touches |
46.95 (98th percentile) |
As shown, the Spain-born goalkeeper is particularly impressive at stopping penalties, having made a number of key saves during his time with Torino in the Serie A.
Milinkovic-Savic could be a fantastic signing for Leeds, who certainly need to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, given that Meslier may not be trusted by Farke, having been dropped for the promotion run-in during the climax of the 2024-25 season.
