Good Morning. It's Friday 25th September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Torino put Perri on extra sessions after shaky start
Lucas Perri arrived at Torino in late August as the club’s new first-choice shot-stopper. The Brazilian, 28, joined on loan from Leeds United with an option to buy after a frustrating year in West Yorkshire, where he lost the starting job after the 4-3 loss against Newcastle Utd last January. His first weeks in Serie A have been uneven. There was an error against Fiorentina that did not cost Torino the match, another costly moment against Roma, and a quieter 1-1 draw at Bologna. The mistakes, especially in distribution and decision-making, quickly drew scrutiny in Turin.On 17 September Tuttosport published “Torino, Perri va già a ripetizione.” The paper reported that the club’s goalkeeping staff had already put Perri on extra, individually designed sessions. The work focuses on reaction times, speed and flexibility. The article noted that “rust inevitably weighs on his shoulders” after he spent much of last season on the Leeds bench. English outlets covering the piece said Tuttosport linked that inactivity, and Daniel Farke’s decision to drop him, to his lack of sharpness at the start of the Torino campaign.
Coach Ignazio Abate has publicly defended his goalkeeper. He has acknowledged that Perri still needs to improve his decision-making and that some of the criticism has gone too far, while insisting the player has the quality to succeed. Torino see the international break as useful time to accelerate the extra work. Perri remains the starter. The loan deal gives both clubs an evaluation period: Torino can decide whether to trigger the €16m buy option. Something tells me they will renegotiate a lower price next summer!
Sunderland Talisman ruled out for Leeds clash
Leeds United’s unbeaten start will be tested as soon as the international break ends. Daniel Farke’s side have taken nine points from five Premier League games. Next come Arsenal away, Manchester United at home, then a trip to the Stadium of Light on 25 October. That Sunderland fixture now looks different. Brian Brobbey, who scored a hat-trick against Manchester City last weekend, suffered a suspected hamstring injury on Netherlands duty against Germany on Thursday night. He lasted only 35 minutes, went down holding the back of his leg and had to be helped off.Xavi has already said he will call up another striker. The severity is not official yet, but Brobbey looked in real pain, and even a mild hamstring strain is usually three to four weeks. A return against Leeds in just over four weeks seems highly improbable. Without him, Sunderland lose their most obvious source of goals. Farke still has Arsenal and United to negotiate first. By the time Leeds reach Wearside, they may not have to plan for the striker who has hurt Premier League defences most this month.
Would £35m+ tempt 49ers to part with Calvert-Lewin
When Leeds United gambled on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, few could have predicted quite how well it would turn out. The 29-year-old arrived at Elland Road from Everton in August 2025 on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal until 2028. That absence of a transfer fee will inevitably be mentioned by any club considering a move for him. But what Leeds paid for Calvert-Lewin is now almost irrelevant. What matters is what it would cost to replace him. Last season, the striker scored 14 Premier League goals. He has already added another three from his opening five league appearances this term, forcing his way back into the England conversation and establishing himself as the focal point of Daniel Farke’s attack.With Leeds sitting fifth in the Premier League, there is simply no reason to sell. Reports close to the club have already suggested that it would take “big money” even to start a conversation. And given his importance to Farke, even a substantial offer may not be enough. The Whites never regarded Calvert-Lewin as a bargain-basement signing. Although there was no transfer fee, his wages and three-year contract represented a significant financial commitment. Internally, the overall package was reportedly viewed as an investment worth more than £20 million. Leeds moved quickly because opportunities to sign a proven English Premier League centre-forward without paying a transfer fee are extremely rare. A year later, that gamble looks inspired. It also means the idea of selling him for “pure profit” is far too simplistic.
Yes, any transfer fee would represent a significant accounting gain . But replacing a striker capable of scoring 14 or more Premier League goals is another matter entirely. And that is where Calvert-Lewin’s true value lies. Valuation models inevitably produce different figures, with some estimates placing Calvert-Lewin somewhere around the €16-20 million mark. In the current striker market, that feels almost meaningless! Former Manchester United scout Mick Brown summed up Leeds’ position perfectly when he suggested it would require big money to tempt the Whites into selling. His reasoning was straightforward: where would Leeds find a better and more effective replacement?
That is the question that should dictate any negotiation. The valuation of a first-choice Premier League centre-forward who is scoring goals, leading the line effectively and contracted until 2028 cannot simply be determined by his age or what Leeds originally paid for him. It has to be determined by what losing him would cost. Top flight clubs routinely spend £30-50 million, and sometimes considerably more on strikers with less impressive recent records and far less certainty attached to them. A fit and firing Calvert-Lewin, scoring Premier League goals, pushing for England recognition and with more than two years remaining on his contract, belongs in that conversation.
Iit is difficult to imagine the club even considering an offer below £35 million. In reality, it may take considerably more than that to persuade the 49ers to sacrifice such an important player. Centre-forwards capable of holding the ball up, dominating defenders physically, winning the first contact, pressing from the front and still reaching double figures in the Premier League are difficult to find. More importantly, Calvert-Lewin's attributes are central to the way Farke wants his team to play. The alternatives tend to fall into two categories: young strikers with potential but little Premier League pedigree, or established forwards carrying enormous transfer fees and wage demands.
Having finally found a marksman who fits the system and scores goals, voluntarily creating the same problem again would make little sense. That also explains why talk of fresh contract discussions have already been suggested; a new agreement would reward his performances, underline his importance to the club and potentially put an end to speculation surrounding his future. The transfer fee would need to be enormous. The structure of the deal would have to suit Leeds, with substantial guaranteed money rather than a headline figure inflated by unlikely add-ons. And, perhaps most importantly, the club would need to know exactly how it was going to replace him. The free transfer was the bargain. Selling him would surely be an expensive mistake.
Lucas Perri, Torino, Brian Brobbey, Sunderland, Dominic Calvert-Lewin
I saw his hat trick of tap-ins last week - I don not imagine that there is anyone on this forum who could not have put them away.
