Leeds United offloaded Kristoffer Klaesson on a permanent basis on Sunday and already, the club are moving quickly to sign a replacement in a Doncaster-born stopper.
After three years, 23-year-old Klaesson has left the club after Leeds paid £1m to sign him from Norwegian side Valerenga. But in those three years at Elland Road, he managed just four senior outings for Leeds.
Three of the came last season under Daniel Farke after Illan Meslier’s red card against Preston and Karl Darlow suffering a thumb injury. Firmly planted as the club’s third-choice, he’s joined Polish side Rakow.
Leeds were expected to move quickly in finding a replacement for Klaesson, as the club looked to bring in a bargain option for a player that of course, is not going to play a huge amount under Farke at Leeds.
Leeds United close to signing goalkeeper that fans will know well
Rewind nine years, and a young goalkeeper by the name of Alex Cairns was just leaving his boyhood club of Leeds having only managed one senior appearance as a sub in a 5-0 loss to Blackpool back in 2011.
He left for Chesterfield in 2015, failing to play, before a move to Rotherham but again not making a single appearance. It wasn’t until a move to Fleetwood came about in 2016, that his career finally got going.
In seven years, he played 240 times before joining Salford initially on loan in January 2023. He played 77 more games for a side owned by the Class of ’92 and primarily Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes.
Alex Cairns starred against Leeds last season in shootout
Graham Smyth reports in the Yorkshire Evening Post that Leeds are closing in on a deal to sign Cairns from Salford City for a ‘nominal fee’. It sees him return to Leeds a whole nine years after leaving the club.
Cairns will be joining Leeds to replace Klaesson, having starred against The Whites last season. Salford knocked Leeds out of the Carabao Cup with a win on penalties and Cairns caught the eye for Salford.
Cairns actually saved a penalty from Georginio Rutter, as well as Jamie Shackleton. It looks as if he will return to Elland Road for a bargain fee and provide cover for both Meslier and Darlow.
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