Leeds United are pushing to establish themselves as genuine top-half contenders after finishing 14th in their first Premier League season back under Daniel Farke.
The German head coach has made his ambitions clear, stating he does not want to fight relegation each year and instead wants to compete at the top end of the table.
Recent reports have linked the club with Sporting CP central defender Ousmane Diomande, a move that would signal serious intent from those running the club behind the scenes.
The Ivorian star would cost a club-record fee of £40m to bring to Elland Road, representing a significant financial commitment during the summer transfer window.
Diomande only played 17 times in the league for Sporting in the 2025/26 campaign and lost 62% of his ground duels in the Portuguese top-flight, raising questions about consistency.
He also missed 11 games through injury during the season, which puts doubt on his reliability ahead of a potential step up to the Premier League.
However, according to TEAMtalk, Leeds are one of several clubs chasing Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford ahead of the upcoming summer window.
Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United are also reportedly in the race for the England international, who is currently with Thomas Tuchel’s squad at the World Cup.
Manchester City are seeking a fee in excess of £40m for Trafford, which would surpass the £35.5m club record Leeds paid Hoffenheim for Georginio Rutter in January 2023.
TEAMtalk notes that Leeds have yet to make a serious move for the former Burnley stopper, leaving his potential arrival at Elland Road firmly up in the air.
Trafford stepped up in three massive cup games this season against Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea, keeping clean sheets in all three and winning two trophies with City.
He prevented 2.53 xG with his saves across four Premier League appearances, a figure that far outperforms Leeds’ current goalkeeping options Karl Darlow and Lucas Perri.
Darlow conceded 1.50 more goals than expected while Perri let in 2.18 more than expected, highlighting a significant weakness in goal for Farke’s side.
Prior to joining City, Trafford kept 29 clean sheets in 45 Championship matches and prevented a staggering 12.82 goals based on xG for Burnley in the 2024/25 campaign.
The 23-year-old has never missed a senior game through injury, missing only one match through illness for Burnley across his time at Turf Moor.
He served as second-choice behind Gianluigi Donnarumma at City but proved his quality emphatically whenever called upon in high-pressure, high-profile fixtures.
Trafford’s combination of Championship pedigree, Premier League experience, and big-game composure makes him a far more proven proposition than Diomande in English football.
If Leeds only have the budget for one major summer signing, Trafford represents the stronger investment and a cleaner, more immediate upgrade to Farke’s first-team options.