The fact that Illan Meslier is the current number one at Leeds United and doesn’t seem to be close to losing that spot any time soon meant that other young goalkeepers at the club had to look elsewhere to get game time.
That’s exactly what Elia Caprile did last year when he was sent to Pro Patria in Serie C, becoming the number one there, which caught the eye of a few clubs in Italy.
Bari subsequently came knocking on Leeds’ door in the summer to strike a deal, which led to one being struck.
The details have never really been revealed, but what has is the fact the Elland Road side will receive 50% of a future transfer.
Doing such a deal is a bit of gamble, as it entirely depends on how the player perform at his new club, but in Caprile’s case, it seems Leeds could be set for a nice little income.
We say this because the young goalkeeper is excelling at Bari, with Corriere dello Sport dedicating a big article to his form on Thursday.
The Italian newspaper are full of praise for the 21-year-old, who they say ‘has been extraordinary in the last few games’.
They add ‘there is no doubt that he is predestined’ for greatness, ‘kind of like Superman without the red cape’, with his ‘feline reflexes and the gift of intuition’.
He’s now ‘an absolute certainty’ in this Bari, and is ‘no longer a gamble’, with Walter Zenga previously stating: “I saw a phenomenal goalkeeper, Elia Caprile. Phenomenon.”
For Leeds, this is a great sign, as the better he does, the likelier he will be targeted by Serie A sides, or someone else, who could be willing to pay a lot of money for his services, which the Elland Road side will get 50% of.
