Turin Transfer Market: Here’s When Perri Is Coming; Paleari Will Make a Decision
Torino is preparing to welcome Lucas Perri. Leeds has signed James Trafford to replace him, and the Brazilian goalkeeper—who has long had an agreement with Torino—is about to fly to Italy: according to Tuttosport, he is expected to arrive in Turin on Thursday or Friday at the latest.
Perri holds an Italian passport, and more than two weeks ago he had already reached an agreement with Torino, who worked out a deal with Leeds based on a paid loan of one million with an option to buy set at 11 million euros. The deal is still being finalized; Leeds wants a percentage of any future sale of the player.
Perri saw only a few minutes of action during Leeds’ recent friendlies: after his medical exam and signing, he’ll need time to settle in and get back to 100% fitness. He could already be available for Saturday’s Coppa Italia match, but Diego Mascardi will start—he was a regular under Abate during the preseason and is ready to serve as the second-string goalkeeper next season.
Perri’s arrival, meanwhile, frees up Alberto Paleari, who, at 33, is at a crossroads: he must decide whether to stay in Turin as the third-string goalkeeper or accept offers from several Serie A and Serie B clubs as a starter or backup goalkeeper. In addition to Sampdoria, which has been the most proactive in recent weeks, Lecce, Venezia, Cagliari, and Parma have all expressed interest in the 1992-born goalkeeper, a product of the Milan youth academy, as they seek an experienced player to back up their starting goalkeeper. Sporting director Petrachi will evaluate the offers, but the feeling is that Paleari is tempted to leave in search of more playing time.
The Perri deal effectively closes a chapter that sporting director Gianluca Petrachi opened on the very day Ignazio Abate was presented, when he publicly announced his intention to bring a new starting goalkeeper to Turin. Among the names considered over the summer was Orlando Gill, the Paraguayan goalkeeper who starred at the 2026 World Cup, but that lead did not result in any concrete developments.
