Leeds United need to sign a new number one for Daniel Farke‘s first-team squad before the summer transfer window slams shut in September.
Karl Darlow ended the 2025/26 campaign as the first-choice option between the sticks, taking over from Lucas Perri, but he decided against putting pen to paper on an extension at Elland Road.
The Wales international became a free agent at the start of the month and opted to move to Premier League rivals Manchester United to be a back-up to Senne Lammens.
Leeds are pushing in talks with Manchester City to secure a deal to bring James Trafford to Elland Road on a permanent deal to be their new number one for next season.
Why James Trafford is not a guaranteed success for Leeds
The young shot-stopper feels like a slam dunk signing for Leeds if they can get it over the line, because he was at the World Cup with England and won the FA Cup and the League Cup with City last season.
Football is never that simple, though, and there is a possibility that the 23-year-old star is not an instant success in West Yorkshire, based on his last full season of Premier League football.
Trafford only played four times for the Cityzens in the division last term, as Gianluigi Donnarruma was the number one, but he did play 28 matches in the league for Burnley back in the 2023/24 campaign.
|
23/24 Premier League |
James Trafford |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
28 |
|
Save success rate |
63% |
|
Goals conceded |
62 |
|
Goals conceded per game |
2.2 |
|
Goals prevented |
-7.47 |
|
Error led to goal |
1 |
|
Penalties committed |
0 |
The England international conceded a staggering 7.47 more goals than expected based on the xG against him in that campaign for the Clarets, which essentially means that he significantly underperformed as a shot-stopper.
Trafford then prevented 12.82 goals and kept 29 clean sheets in the Championship in the following season before joining City and winning the cup double, so the hope will be that he has developed and improved since the 2023/24 campaign.
However, there will be that lingering concern about his consistency and reliability as a Premier League number one until he proves himself in the division.
Leeds in talks to seal better signing than James Trafford
Whilst there are some fair concerns to be had about how Trafford may perform as the number one at Elland Road, the club are eyeing another signing who could be more impactful in the short-term.
LeedsLive reports that Leeds United are in ongoing talks with Julian Brandt and his representatives to discuss personal terms over a move to West Yorkshire in the summer transfer window.
The outlet claims that the two parties are discussing both his potential wage packet as well as where he will fit in within Farke’s tactical set-up in the Premier League next season.
It adds that his father and agent went to Thorp Arch to hold face-to-face talks with club officials earlier this month, but it remains to be seen whether or not they can do enough to convince him to sign on the dotted lines.
Brandt would be a better and more impactful signing than Trafford for Leeds because he would arrive as the finished article rather than as a young player with potential, like the English stopper.
The Germany international, now 30, has been there and done it at the top level and would join the Whites as a player who is expected to hit the ground running as an instant star in the Premier League.
|
Julian Brandt’s attacking contributions |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Goals |
Assists |
|
25/26 |
11 |
5 |
|
24/25 |
6 |
15 |
|
23/24 |
10 |
14 |
|
22/23 |
10 |
9 |
|
21/22 |
9 |
10 |
Brandt hit double figures for goals in three of his last four seasons at Dortmund and double figures for assists in three of his last five seasons in all competitions.
The experienced attacking midfielder consistently showed that he can make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the German giants.
Brandt’s return of 11 goals in the 2025/26 campaign was more than any Leeds player mustered, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the only player to score double figures in all competitions.
The 30-year-old star’s vast experience in the Bundesliga and the Champions League for Dortmund, along with 48 caps for Germany on the international stage, means that Leeds know exactly what they will be bringing to their squad.
Brandt would provide regular quality at the top end of the pitch to bolster Farke’s attack as an experienced addition to the group, which is why he would be an even better signing than Trafford, who is a riskier signing at this moment in time.
