Leeds finalise James Trafford deal, announcement due with knock-on effect detailed
Leeds United fans may not have to wait much longer to see James Trafford announced at Elland Road.
The 23-year-old goalkeeper hasn't enjoyed an ideal time of things since re-signing for Manchester City last summer.
Returning to the Etihad expecting to become City's new number one goalkeeper, their signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma put a physically and metaphorically large block on that.
Desperate to kick-start his senior career as a top-level goalkeeper though, Trafford is widely reported to be on the verge of a record-breaking transfer to Leeds this summer.
Many have tipped him to become England's number one after Jordan Pickford in the near future, and so his arrival could secure Leeds' goalkeeping position for many years to come.
No surprise then that Whites fans are nervously awaiting official confirmation of his capture, and that may well be about to arrive.
How long until Leeds announce James Trafford signing?
It's widely reported that Trafford is going to set Leeds back around £40million.
That's set to make him the fourth-most expensive goalkeeper in British transfer history, as well as send out a clear statement of Elland Road intent moving forward.
However, it's been over a week now since those reports emerged, so when is Trafford going to complete his LS11 switch
Well, according to French-based journalist Sebastien Vidal on X, Leeds have now finalised the deal for Trafford.
He also reaffirms that the transfer is set to be north of £38.6m, and that an official announcement from Leeds is "expected shortly."
On top of that, Vidal also claims that this will open up the door for Lucas Perri to join Torino on loan.
But would Perri be a starter for the Serie A side, and how likely is he to succeed there should that be his destination?
Why Torino would be excellent move for Perri
Whether Perri's potential loan move to Torino suggests that Leeds aren't willing to give up on him yet long-term, or that no permanent buyers were willing to dance with the Whites this summer, remains to be seen.
Regardless, Perri will likely just be glad to get a new opportunity away from West Yorkshire, and this would be an ideal one for him.
Torino keeper Franco Israel has just undergone shoulder surgery, and the 26-year-old now faces several months on the sidelines.
As a result, 33-year-old Alberto Paleari is now manager Ignazio Albate's only proven senior shot-stopper, but he conceded 45 goals in 29 Serie A games last season.
Other than that, Torino have this summer signed 19-year-old talent Diego Mascardi from Spezia, but he's only got 17 Serie B appearances on his senior CV, so he's not expected to be the number one for 2026-27.
Therefore, Perri can realistically expect to become Torino's number one goalkeeper next season should he sign, which is not bad at all considering they've established themselves as a solid mid-table Serie A side.