NafisaLeeds United made a clear decision this summer to move on several players who were no longer considered part of Daniel Farke’s plans.
Rather than committing to permanent sales in every case, the club opted to send a number of them out on loan, with buying options included in some of the agreements.
Sebastiaan Bornauw joined Hamburg, while Willy Gnonto made the switch to Fiorentina. Lucas Perri was another notable departure, with the Brazilian goalkeeper moving to Torino for the season.
On paper, the arrangement gave Leeds the opportunity to move players on while leaving the door open for permanent exits further down the line.
But Perri’s start in Italy has already created an uncomfortable question for the club.
The goalkeeper endured a difficult debut for Torino, and his latest appearance has done little to calm those concerns.
Lucas Perri makes second mistake in as many games for Torino
Leeds signed Perri from Lyon for £15.6million last summer, with the goalkeeper arriving as part of the club’s preparations for their return to the Premier League.
There was initially optimism that Leeds had finally found a reliable long-term option between the sticks.
That optimism did not last.
Perri endured a difficult spell at Elland Road, with a succession of errors and underwhelming performances eventually seeing him lose his place in the starting XI.
Farke instead turned to Karl Darlow, and Perri’s time as Leeds’ first-choice goalkeeper effectively came to an end.
After just one season, the Brazilian was sent out on loan, with Torino becoming his latest opportunity to rebuild his reputation.
Unfortunately for Perri, the opening weeks in Serie A have followed a familiar pattern.
Torino did manage to secure their first league victory of the season against Fiorentina, fighting back from a goal down to claim a 2-1 win.
However, their comeback did not prevent another uncomfortable moment for Perri.
Fiorentina opened the scoring through Mateo Pellegrino, who struck from distance with a shot that appeared to offer Perri a chance to make a routine save.
Instead, the goalkeeper failed to get enough on the ball to keep it out, allowing the effort to squirm beyond him.
It means Perri has now been directly involved in conceding two goals across his opening two appearances for Torino.
That is hardly the start Leeds would have wanted when hoping their loan arrangement could eventually lead to a permanent solution.
49ers’ transfer strategy will surely backfire
There is still a long way to go before Torino have to make a decision on Perri’s future, and it would be premature to assume that the Italian club will automatically walk away from their purchase option.
Goalkeepers can also recover quickly from poor starts, particularly when they are given a sustained run of matches to regain confidence.
But from Leeds’ perspective, the situation is certainly worth monitoring.
The entire point of allowing Perri to leave on loan with a potential permanent move attached was to create a pathway towards a long-term exit.
If his performances continue to deteriorate, that pathway could become considerably more difficult.
Torino may have second thoughts about activating their option if Perri cannot establish himself as a dependable goalkeeper, leaving Leeds potentially facing an awkward situation next summer.
The Brazilian would return to West Yorkshire another year older, with less time remaining on his Leeds contract and potentially diminished value in the transfer market.
That could leave the club in a weaker negotiating position than it would have been in this summer.
There is also a recent precedent that may make Leeds supporters even more nervous about relying on an Italian club to complete a loan-to-buy arrangement.
Jack Harrison’s previous loan spell at Fiorentina also ended without the Italian club turning the temporary move into a permanent transfer.
That does not mean Torino will necessarily follow the same route with Perri, but it highlights the uncertainty surrounding these types of deals.
For now, Perri still has plenty of time to change the narrative.
One strong run of performances could completely alter the situation, particularly if Torino continue picking up results.
But two appearances and two costly goals conceded is certainly not the beginning Leeds would have wanted.
And if the pattern continues, the 49ers could eventually find themselves asking whether moving Perri on permanently this summer would have been the smarter decision.
Nafisa
