Leeds United are close to confirming their eighth summer signing, but there is a chance that only three of those will start against Everton on Monday night.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is close to completing a free transfer to Leeds, after leaving Monday’s opponents Everton. David Ornstein says Leeds have beaten some major European clubs to secure Calvert-Lewin.
But Calvert-Lewin is unlikely to start against Everton on Monday, especially with the striker lacking a pre-season at a club this summer. Sebastiaan Bornauw has had an injury and Jaka Bijol will be suspended.
Lukas Nmecha is expected to start from the bench alongside Calvert-Lewin with Joel Piroe likely to get the nod, while Sean Longstaff is in a direct shootout with Ao Tanaka to start in the middle of the park.
Only three of Leeds’ eight new signings could start against Everton under the lights at Elland Road, with Anton Stach and Gabriel Gudmundsson almost certainly starting. Lucas Perri is set to start in goal.
Nigel Martyn left stunned by new Leeds keeper Lucas Perri
Perri might have only played 45 minutes for Leeds in pre-season, playing the first half against Milan. But fans are already excited by their new goalkeeper, not least because of the £15.6m star’s massive throw.
On the fringes of the Brazil squad, Perri will be desperate to do well in a World Cup year and Nigel Martyn has told the Yorkshire Post what has shocked him about Leeds’ new keeper, and it isn’t his huge throw.
“He’s a giant of a man. He’s going to bring confidence to the backline. He likes to make saves, his limbs are extraordinarily long, so it’s going to be difficult for strikers to get past him,” Martyn told the YP.
“There’s going to be an arm or a leg that gets thrown out and they’re going to think ‘where’s that come from?’. Hopefully, he’s settled in, and gets that understanding with the back four very quickly.”
Lucas Perri could well be Leeds’ most-important signing
All the focus right now is on the need to bring in attacking reinforcements and alleviate the concern that Leeds will struggle to score goals in the Premier League. But compared to last season, a keeper was key.
Towards the end of last season, if Leeds needed to improve one position, it was a goalkeeper. Illan Meslier could not stop making mistakes and Karl Darlow was only ever signed as back-up to the club’s first pick.
Perri has a huge role to play. Leeds’ goal will come under intense pressure and if the Brazilian has a good season, then Leeds have a much better chance of remaining in the Premier League. He will be crucial.
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