Serie A side Torino signed Lucas Perri from Leeds United in the summer. Despite a slow start, the player has been backed to make a mark in Italy.
Over the past few months, Sport Witness covered how the Whites created an auction for the keeper. This helped them get a loan with an option to buy of €16m, as Torino were forced to up their offer.
The Brazilian’s start to life in Turin has been mixed. He was at fault in their Coppa Italia loss to Monza. He also made an error against Fiorentina, but his blushes were saved as Torino won 2-1.
Despite that, there is confidence things will soon take a positive turn.
Player already seen as a leader
TuttoSport describe Perri’s time at Torino as a ‘rollercoaster’ so far. They point at his errors against Fiorentina and Monza but have a rather positive spin on the situation.
Perri put the errors behind him quite quickly. He appeared composed after those and also made an important save against Fiorentina after Mateo Pellegrino scored in the second half.
Moreover, manager Ignazio Abate has a lot of faith in his leadership skills. That is why he was desperate to sign him from Leeds United and sees him as someone who can be a role model for younger players. He is already showing that personality in the dressing room and this has ‘won over’ the Torino manager.
This is best symbolised by how his teammates consoled him after the errors.
Torino are now excitedly waiting to see the version of Perri who did well at Lyon. The first-choice role is all his and the newspaper are confident things will change soon.
Our take: Make or break for Perri
This is a golden opportunity for the Whites loanee to make a mark in a top league. He has a lot of younger keepers behind him in the pecking order and Torino clearly have a hierarchy in place.
Despite the negatives, there were signs in the last two games that Perri will soon be a key player. Against Fiorentina, he was very vocal and made a key save early in the game too.
Now, his focus should be on making the most of this spell as it can turn his career around.
