Gianluigi Buffon claims Leeds United made huge transfer mistake by selling ‘great’ player
Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon has spoken about how a player Leeds United let go could be destined for great things in his future.
Leeds United might have made a transfer mistake as they let go of a player legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon described as ‘great’.
The 2006 World Cup winner said former Leeds goalkeeper Elia Caprile could be a Champions League-level goalkeeper soon. Caprile joined Leeds in 2020 but mainly featured for the under-23s before leaving in 2022 to join Serie B side Bari after a season-long loan spell the year before in Serie C for Pro Patria.
The now 24-year-old is currently playing in Serie A for Cagliari after a spell at Italian giants Napoli, where he is now playing regular top-flight football for the first time. He has made 15 Serie A appearances already this season and was called up to the senior Italy national side for the November internationals.
Buffon was speaking to Sports Illustrated about the options Italy have in goal at the moment.
“We have Donnarumma, Meret, Carnesecchi, Caprile,” the legendary goalkeeper said. “These are truly goalkeepers of great calibre, of a very high level, who would all play in the Champions League. In fact, they do play there, four out of five of them do, Caprile, let’s wait until next year, he might too play in the Champions League, and that means the level is very high.”
If this is the case, the Whites could come to regret letting him go without giving him much of a chance, especially as former number one between the sticks, Illan Meslier, has been ousted, and the club worked hard to bring in Lucas Perri in the summer when they might have had a ready-made replacement under their noses if he had a chance.
Speaking about his dream of playing in the Champions League while still at Leeds, Cabrile said: “Leeds were the first to tell me ‘go on loan, play your 30/40 games and then let’s talk again’. I have a dream and a hope. The hope, which is also my goal, is to be in Serie A.
“Obviously, I think all children want to reach Serie A and maybe even the Champions League. As for the dream, in 10 years, I would like to be the Napoli goalkeeper. Why? My father is from Naples, and I support Napoli.”
Cabrile has already made it to Serie A, but he might be disappointed that his spell at Napoli didn’t work out as he hoped. However, as a young goalkeeper, he still has time to continue improving, and that chance may come for him once again.
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