Leeds United have had a window of agreement on many of their signings, given the speed in which the first seven were secured.
The final three additions took longer to acquire and it could definitely be argued Leeds United did not do enough to end the window, given the talk of a wide player or No.10 coming in.
It leaves Leeds fans frustrated at the 49ers since deadline day, but the recruitment team at Leeds is more streamlined since they came in, even if it has become smaller in size.
Things have not always been joined-up behind the scenes for Leeds in that sense, given that Daniel Farke is given the final say on all transfer dealings. It has the potential to cause friction or issues when deciding who to move on in the market.
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Daniel Farke wanted Alexander Nubel instead of Lucas Perri
An example of tension comes via reports earlier in the summer that Leeds had issues replacing Illan Meslier, as detailed by Graham Smyth in that report.
He explained that there was “less of the transfer ‘tension’ that ex-CEO Angus Kinnear admitted to after the 2024 summer window but it has taken longer to reach a consensus and decision on the keeper than it has with other positions.
“The need to get it right is so vital that Leeds are right to try and be absolutely sure, and of all the players coming to Elland Road this summer the keeper is probably the one with the least tactical adjustments to make.”
Vanja Milinkovic Savic and Lucas Perri were both options for Leeds, but there were other names who also cropped up as well. Alexander Nubel of Bayern Munich emerged as a Leeds target two seasons ago now.
Nubel could have joined Leeds for just under £7 million that summer but nothing materialised. A year ago, Nubel was also linked for £8 million.
He was not a target this summer by any reports, but the latest information suggests he was a consideration again, and a player that caused that ‘tension’ Smyth has alluded to.
Beren Cross of The Athletic reports that the pursuit of a goalkeeper was arguably “the most divisive process across June and July for the club’s hierarchy.”
It is clear that it took them longer to decide on the best option to replace Meslier in goal than in any other position. Cross reports: “Sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, say Farke liked Bayern Munich’s Alexander Nubel.”
The Leeds boss was keen on the goalkeeper for three seasons, it seems. Cross states: “Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope, Robin Zentner and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic were all discussed at various times.
“But availability and agreement across United’s key figures dragged the process out. Perri was ultimately the player who ticked most of the boxes at the top of the club.”
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Alex Nubel and Lucas Perri compared by key goalkeeping metric
Nubel is backed to become Germany’s No.1 at some stage. However, Leeds ended up signing Perri instead. Was that the right decision for Farke not to get his way with Nubel?
The Bayern Munich goalkeeper has spent the last few seasons on loan with VfB Stuttgart. Across his Bundesliga and Ligue 1 career so far, Nubel has a -12.3 post-shot xG (expected goals) figure, according to FBref.
Perri, via FBref, has a +15.8 for the same metric across Ligue 1 and the Brazilian Serie A. It’s night and day on that front for two goalkeepers of a similar age.
Therefore, it makes sense that the likes of Adam Underwood and Robbie Evans pursued different routes over the German. Leeds are almost certainly better off on that front.
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