Legendary former Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has told Leeds United that a player they sold is good enough to play in the Champions League.
Victor Orta left a mixed legacy at Leeds, with the notable successes of his early years at the club largely outweighed by the mistakes of his final months at the club.
Leeds are still handling the missteps of Orta’s transfer policy, with Max Wober still technically a Leeds player and spending another season out on loan.
However, Orta’s signings are not the only source of regret for the Whites, with some notable departures coming back to prove Leeds wrong for allowing them to leave.
According to Buffon, former Leeds United goalkeeper Elia Caprile could be the worst of those errors, as he looks set for a big move this summer.
Which former Leeds player would you have back, if you could pick one? Raphinha surely has to be up there💎
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Ex-Leeds United goalkeeper Elia Caprile praised by Gianluigi Buffon
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Buffon praised the former Leeds shotstopper, who has caught the eye in Serie A with a string of impressive displays for Cagliari.
Discussing the depth of options in goal for the Italian national side, former Juventus hero Buffon claimed that Caprile could well become the fifth Champions League standard goalkeeper in Italy if he continues on his current trajectory.
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The legendary shotstopper said: “We have Donnarumma, Meret, Carnesecchi, Caprile.
“These are truly goalkeepers of great calibre, of a very high level, who would all play in the Champions League.
“In fact, they do play there, four out of five of them do, Caprile, let’s wait until next year, he might too play in the Champions League, and that means the level is very high.”
Elia Caprile in action for Italy's U21s.
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Leeds United are still searching for a goalkeeping solution
While it is undoubtedly frustrating that Caprile has gone on to fulfil his potential away from Elland Road, few could have foreseen his career trajectory while he was at the club.
However, with Illan Meslier, the man who kept Caprile out of the team in his first spell, suffering a catastrophic lack of confidence, Leeds have struggled to find a reliable goalkeeper.
Is Lucas Perri the right man to be Leeds’ number one? 🤔
Lucas Perri's distribution is becoming a problem for Leeds United
Lucas Perri of Leeds United
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Lucas Perri is still finding his feet in the Premier League, having moved to Leeds from Lyon in the summer, with Perri’s distribution increasingly coming under scrutiny.
The Brazilian has shown flashes of why Leeds brought him to the club, and could still go on to become an unqualified success at Elland Road. However, Caprile’s performances highlight the ongoing struggle to find a truly reliable first choice at Leeds.
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