Leeds United Linked To 28-Year-Old Serie A Goalkeeper: Right Option For Farke?

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The 4th Official

17 July 2026

Leeds United are keeping tabs on

Juventus

goalkeeper

Michele Di Gregorio

. According

Corriere dello Sport, the Italian is expected to leave the Allianz Stadium this summer. It follows a miserable campaign where the

Turin

giants limped to a sixth-place finish in Serie A. Further details from Tuttosport suggest that Daniel Farke’s side have made very timid enquiries. That implies a general awareness of his situation rather than a full-throttle pursuit.

His agent, Carlo Alberto Belloni, has already confirmed that the shot-stopper is on the shortlists of several clubs across Europe. There is no rush to sort a move just yet. The Whites face plenty of competition, too.

Tottenham Hotspur

admire the keeper, though Roberto De Zerbi’s side have not converted that interest into a formal bid. Liverpool were briefly linked earlier this year before looking elsewhere.

Elland Road is currently facing a total goalkeeping crisis. Illan Meslier walked away on a free transfer. Karl Darlow moved across the Pennines to sign for Manchester United. To make matters worse, backup option Lucas Perri is on the verge of finalising a loan move to Torino. Farke needs a new number one, fast.

Di Gregorio is 28. He arrived at

in the summer of 2025 with an excellent reputation, having won the Serie A goalkeeper of the year award during his time at Monza. He racked up 127 saves in 33 games during the 2023/24 season and possesses the sort of distribution needed to sweep behind a modern high defensive line. Anyone who watched Italian football back then saw a player destined for the top.

Then came last season. It was a mess. High-profile blunders against Inter Milan and Como saw him dropped by Luciano Spalletti midway through the season. By May, he had managed just nine clean sheets in 30 league starts. His save percentage plummeted to 68.1%. That represents a massive decline from the 70.4% efficiency he recorded during his first year in

. The faith placed in him simply backfired.

The price tag is the only real positive here. Reports from earlier this year put the baseline asking price at roughly €10-11m.

need to recoup at least €10.8m to avoid booking a capital loss on the €18.8m they initially paid Monza. For a seasoned Italian keeper, that sounds dirt cheap.

Leeds United

must look past the bargain bin. They would be buying an underperforming player from a chaotic environment, not a dominant presence ready to control a Premier League box.

BERGAMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 05:

looks on during the Coppa Italia match between Atalanta BC and

FC at New Balance Arena on February 05, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

As a backup option, Di Gregorio makes sense. As the main target, he worries me. His shot-stopping numbers have dropped for two seasons running. He went from a 78.3% save rate at Monza down to 70.4%, and now sits at 68.1%.

Leeds United cannot afford a leaky keeper. Their expected goals against metrics were alarming last year, with the club ranking 14th in the Premier League for xG conceded at 55.7.

managed to shield Di Gregorio behind a statistically tight defence, but putting him behind this current Leeds backline is an entirely different story.

Zion Suzuki is the better option. He is younger, has massive potential, and is fresh off an impressive World Cup showing with Japan. He should remain the primary target for the recruitment team. If that particular deal falls through and Di Gregorio is available for a cut-price fee of around £9m, Farke should consider it. Just do not expect a saviour.

The low fee is attractive. The availability is real. Yet Di Gregorio looks like a player whose peak is in the rearview mirror. A goalkeeper who lost his starting spot in a struggling

team should not be the automatic answer to the problems at Elland Road. Farke has spent months building a project that needs stability. Bringing in a low-confidence keeper just because the market feels restricted is a short-term gamble disguised as a clever transfer.

need a definitive choice to fix this summer mess.

Club ‘Waiting For The Right Offer’ Amid Leeds United’s Interest In Player

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