World Cup star is now keen on signing for Leeds

Leeds United are still waiting to find out if they will have Karl Darlow in their squad for the 2026/27 campaign after his contract with the club expired at the start of the month.

The Wales international became a free agent last week and is free to explore his options amid interest from other teams in the Premier League, but the Whites are in talks to keep him at Elland Road.

Irrespective of what happens with him, Leeds need to be in the market for a new goalkeeper because Darlow is 35 and Daniel Farke will want long-term security in such a key position.

That will be why the West Yorkshire outfit are pursuing a deal to sign Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki as their long-term number one in the summer transfer window.

The Whites have submitted an offer of £26m to sign the Japan international from the Italian side, but they are facing competition from Serie A giants Juventus.

World Cup goalkeeper wants move to Leeds United

Suzuki, who made it to the round of 32 with Japan at the World Cup before being knocked out by Brazil, is not the only goalkeeper on the club’s radar.

In fact, the West Yorkshire team are looking at another shot-stopper who would be an even better signing than the £26m-rated stopper ahead of next season.

According to Football Insider, Leeds United are eyeing up a move to sign Derby County goalkeeper Jacob Zetterstrom in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Rams shot-stopper is keen on the idea of a move to Elland Road to play in the Premier League, after playing in the Championship last season.

It adds that the Sweden international, who played in the World Cup this summer, is in the final year of his contract at Pride Park and is eager to test himself at a higher level.

Football Insider reveals that Derby are expecting offers to come in from both Leeds and Eintracht Frankfurt, but it remains to be seen how much they will demand for their goalkeeper.

Why Leeds should sign Jacob Zetterstrom over Zion Suzuki

Zetterstrom and Suzuki have now been established as two of the goalkeeper targets on Farke’s radar this summer, and they may have a decision to make on which one they would prefer to sign.

Based on their respective performances at both club and international level over the past nine months or so, the Derby County stopper may be the best option for the Whites.

Both players played at the World Cup and in the round of 32, for Sweden and Japan respectively, but it was the Swedish star who produced a higher grade of performance between the sticks.

The 27-year-old giant prevented 1.1 more goals than expected in games against France and Suzuki’s Japan, whilst making one less save than the Japanese star in half as many games.

In the 1-1 draw between Japan and Sweden, Zetterstrom prevented 0.27 goals with his saves, whilst Suzuki prevented 0.16 goals for his side.

The Swedish goalkeeper also caught the eye with his performances for Derby in the second tier of English football last term, as he prevented 5.48 goals in 32 appearances in the division, keeping seven clean sheets.

Suzuki, meanwhile, conceded 1.36 more goals than expected based on the xG against his goal in 20 appearances in the Serie A, which shows that he slightly underperformed as a shot-stopper in the Italian top-flight.

Their respective statistics for club and country suggest that Zetterstrom would be a more effective shot-stopper for Leeds because he has consistently shown that he can bail out his defence with high-quality saves that he is not expected to make.

Suzuki, however, has underperformed for both Parma and Japan with his save attempts, which is why he would not be as effective between the sticks in the Premier League for the Whites.

That is why the club must now pursue a move for Zetterstrom, who wants to sign for Farke’s side, instead of continuing to compete with Juventus for the Japanese goalkeeper this summer.