Zion Suzuki vs Leeds United’s goalkeepers: Would he actually be an upgrade?
Zion Suzuki is understood to be one of Leeds United's targets for their goalkeeping position.
Who'll be playing in between the sticksd next season is one of the main questions surrounding Daniel Farke's side this summer, and it seems like they are set to take action.
The Elland Road side have been tracking the Parma stopper for a considerable while, and they could be about to formalise that interest.
The Whites are trying to tie Karl Darlow down to fresh terms, while there are question marks over Lucas Perri's future with the club.
Alex Cairns has a verbal agreement over fresh terms, but Illan Meslier has been allowed to depart, potentially leaving a gap for the Japan star.
MOT Leeds News analyses whether he would actually be an improvement on what they currently have.
Leeds United's current goalkeeping picture
Darlow is currently the starter, but he has not agreed fresh terms with the Peacocks, and his deal expires this summer.
He edged out Perri in the end, with the Brazilian starting 16 matches before being axed by Farke after being signed before the start of last season.
The former Newcastle man ended up playing 22 times in the Premier League, with a starring role in their survival bid.
Meslier or Cairns did not play a single minute as the LS11 outfit stayed in the top-flight.
A report from Italian outlet CalcioMercato on Monday claims that they lead the race to sign the 27-cap international.
There could be a space for Suzuki to take over as the number one, if he is signed.
What does Zion Suzuki offer that is different to what Leeds already have?
The 23-year-old's profile is very different to what Leeds have at their disposal at the moment.
For starters, he is considerably younger, with Darlow being 35 and Perri being 28.
Perhaps more importantly, he is a more modern goalkeeper, more comfortable with the ball at his feet.
He completed 61.9 per cent of his passes in the 2025-26 Serie A season, compared to 58.2 per cent for Darlow and 53.6 per cent for Perri in the Premier League, per Fotmob.
He averaged eight accurate long passes per game, with the Whites' current options recording 7.64 and 5.81 respectively.
In terms of more traditional goalkeeping roles, in terms of shot stopping, he ranks well with the Thorp Arch stars.
He averaged 3.30 saves per 90 minutes, compared to 2.86 and 2.38 for the Peacocks' players.
He edged them out with a save percentage of 70.2, with Darlow having exactly 70 per cent and Perri with 56.7 per cent.
Suzuki kept the same amount of clean sheets as the Wales star with five, and more than the Brazilian, who had just three.
He performs as good if not better at the traditional stuff, as well as being much better with the ball at his feet, it is safe to say that he would be an upgrade.