Leeds United are now showing interest in signing an "exceptional" player, having recently sent scouts to watch him in action.
English youngster impresses as Leeds scouts watch on
Leeds booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, but they certainly didn't make things easy for themselves, defeating Championship side Birmingham City on penalties, after Patrick Roberts cancelled out Lukas Nmecha's opener in normal time.
Against EFL opposition, many Premier League clubs opt to give their back-up goalkeeper a run-out, and Daniel Farke brought Lucas Perri back into the starting XI, after losing his place in the side to Karl Darlow.
Perri clearly hasn't done enough to impress Farke, having been benched for the last five Premier League matches, but Darlow may not be the long-term solution, with the 35-year-old's contract set to expire at the end of the campaign.
Should Perri be unable to force his way back into the manager's plans, signing a new goalkeeper in the summer may be on the agenda for Farke, and an up-and-coming talent has now been identified as a target.
That is according to Scouts In Attendance, who reveal a Leeds delegation were in attendance to watch Salford City goalkeeper Matty Young in action against Manchester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Salford City's Matt Young looks dejected
Young, whose parent club is Sunderland, is not the only Salford loanee the Premier League side had their eye on, with Tottenham Hotspur's Alfie Dorrington also of interest.
"Exceptional" Young puts in top performance against Man City
Of course, Salford were always expected to lose at the Etihad Stadium, but they put in a valiant performance, limiting Pep Guardiola's side to a 2-0 victory, and their goalkeeper put in a top performance, achieving an 8.0 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player.
Matty Young's key stats vs Man City Number completed
Saves from inside box 3
Clearances 3
Punches 1
Long balls (accurate) 36 (16)
Not only did the 19-year-old impress in the FA Cup, but he has also caught the eye in League Two in recent weeks, conceding just two goals in his last four games, and making five saves from inside the box to help his side to a 2-0 victory against Tranmere Rovers.
Salford boss Karl Robinson has singled the English youngster out for high praise too, saying last month: "In training, he's been exceptional. In the cup games, he was great and we made that change.
lucas-perri-leeds Related
Fewer touches than Perri: Farke must drop 4/10 Leeds flop after Birmingham
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke must drop this flop who struggled against Birmingham City.
"In respect to Youngy, I think he's on seven clean sheets in eight [seven in nine after a 2-0 defeat to Fleetwood Town on Saturday], I think that just speaks for itself. How's he not got player of the month? It's a disgrace!"
Young is still a teenager, and remains unproven at a high level, but he is showing signs he could be capable of being a Premier League goalkeeper in the future.