Leeds United suffer Igor Paixão repeat as transfer target Lucas Perri picks up pre-season injury
The Lyon goalkeeper is on Leeds United's list of potential transfer targets with Daniel Farke in need of a first-choice option.
Leeds United-linked goalkeeper Lucas Perri will miss Lyon’s next two pre-season friendlies after picking up a muscle injury, head coach Paulo Fonseca has confirmed.
Leeds are known to be interested in Perri, who kept 10 clean sheets in 33 Ligue 1 appearances last season, with Daniel Farke keen on signing a first-choice goalkeeper this summer. The 27-year-old is on a shortlist of potential options to replace long-standing No.1 Illan Meslier who was dropped for last season’s promotion run-in.
Perri was absent from the Lyon squad on Sunday as they played out a 1-0 win against French third-tier side Villefranche, but he was not the sole absentee. Teammates Mathieu Patouillet and Georges Mikautadze also missed out, with injury keeping the trio sidelined.
Lyon have two friendlies this week, facing Belgian outfit Daring Brussels on Wednesday before a weekend meeting with German side Hamburger SV. And head coach Fonseca confirmed Perri will miss both games.
Speaking after the 1-0 win, Fonseca confirmed his goalkeeper’s injury situation. He said, as quoted by Le Proges: "Lucas has a muscle injury and will miss the next two warm-up matches [against Daring Brussels and Hamburg]."
A minor injury would not be expected to dissuade potential suitors from continuing to pursue Perri, although it’s unclear if Leeds’ interest has progressed into anything more concrete as of yet. Elland Road chiefs have not been put off by a similar situation surrounding fellow transfer target Igor Paixão, whose fitness issue looks to be more serious.
Leeds United transfer latest with Paixão race and medical underway
The YEP reported on links to Paixão last week, with Leeds known to have met with the 25-year-old’s representatives in a bid to sell their project. A muscle injury was known at that time and is expected to keep the Whites target out for several weeks, but interest remains.
Marseille are thought to be pushing hard to sign Paixão but an agreement hasn’t yet been reached between the Ligue 1 outfit and Feyenoord, who reportedly want more than £30million for their winger. But a move to France isn’t yet a foregone conclusion.
Leeds will soon welcome Anton Stach to their ranks with the midfielder undergoing medical tests today, the YEP understands. Elland Road chiefs agreed a deal worth around €20m (£17.3m) for the 6ft 4ins German international, who is close to joining Sean Longstaff in completing Farke’s midfield strengthening efforts.
Fans got a first look at Longstaff and four other new arrivals on Saturday as Leeds kicked off their pre-season campaign with an encouraging 0-0 draw against Manchester United in Stockholm. The former Newcastle United man played alongside Sebastiaan Bornauw and Gabriel Gudmundsson in the second-half, with Jaka Bijol and Lukas Nmecha starting at the Strawberry Arena.
Stach is expected to join up with his new teammates for a training camp in Germany, where Leeds will play a pair of behind-closed-doors friendlies. Farke’s side then face Villarreal and AC Milan in August before Everton’s arrival at Elland Road on Monday August 18.