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Leeds United are closing in on a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Michael Zetterer as cover for James Trafford.
Sky Sports News and The Athletic both report that the two clubs are close to an agreement in principle, though Frankfurt still need to sort their own goalkeeping situation before the move can go through.
The 31-year-old would arrive as Leeds' first senior addition behind Trafford since Karl Darlow left and Illan Meslier was released this summer, with Lucas Perri also closing in on a separate exit to Torino.
Find our unique Football Whispers Index score, rating the likelihood of the deal, below.
Zetterer to Leeds rated ‘Very likely'
Football Whispers Index: Transfer predictor
Michael Zetterer to Leeds United
84/100
TPI
Very likely
Leeds are closing in on Zetterer as cover for James Trafford, with Sky Sports and The Athletic both reporting an agreement in principle is close.
Financial viability19 / 25
Buying club need20 / 20
Player motivation6 / 15
Selling club incentive12 / 20
Market momentum17 / 20
Financial viability19 / 25
- Zetterer signed a four year contract when he joined Eintracht Frankfurt from Werder Bremen on 20 August 2025, tying him to Deutsche Bank Park until 30 June 2029.
- He earns close to €72,500 a week in fixed salary at Frankfurt, comfortably below what Leeds already pay their highest earners.
- Transfermarkt puts his market value at €4.5m, a modest fee against a Premier League revenue base of around £220m in Leeds' second season back in the top flight.
- Three years remain on his Frankfurt deal, giving the German club some leverage to ask for a fee rather than risk losing him for nothing.
Buying club need20 / 20
- Leeds have already lost Karl Darlow and Illan Meslier this summer, with Lucas Perri also closing in on an exit to Torino.
- James Trafford arrived from Manchester City in a club record deal and is the undisputed choice between the posts.
- Alex Cairns is currently the only fit senior alternative, despite staking a claim in pre-season.
- Zetterer made 22 Bundesliga appearances last season with a 65.3 percent save rate, far more top level experience than Cairns carries at this level.
Player motivation6 / 15
- Zetterer initially said he wanted to stay and fight Kaua Santos for the Frankfurt number one shirt this season.
- New head coach Adi Hutter is reportedly ready to bring in a new first choice goalkeeper rather than trust either Zetterer or Santos.
- A move to Leeds would mean understudying James Trafford, who has missed just one match through injury or illness in his career.
- No pay rise has been reported, with Zetterer's Frankfurt wage already close to typical Premier League backup levels.
Selling club incentive12 / 20
- Frankfurt look ready to sanction Zetterer's exit only once they have a new number one in place.
- Kicker name Freiburg's Noah Atubolu as Frankfurt's preferred replacement, though Absolut Fussball called Freiburg's reported €15m valuation unrealistic.
- Kaua Santos has also been linked with an Eintracht exit this summer, leaving the club needing to resolve two goalkeeping departures at once.
- Zetterer kept five clean sheets in 22 Bundesliga starts as Frankfurt finished eighth, three points off a European spot.
Market momentum17 / 20
- Sky Sports News' Zinny Boswell and The Athletic both report the two clubs are close to an agreement in principle.
- Bulinews add that talks are at an advanced stage, though some conditions still need to be resolved before the deal proceeds.
- German outlet Absolut Fussball first reported Leeds' interest, with Kicker and Frankfurter Rundschau since detailing Frankfurt's own goalkeeper situation.
- Leeds face Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup next Tuesday, adding some urgency to getting a backup goalkeeper signed before then.
The verdict84 / 100
Sky Sports and The Athletic already describe this as an agreement in principle, and Leeds badly need a proven alternative to Alex Cairns behind James Trafford, which is why the number sits in Very likely. It happens if Frankfurt land a new number one, whether that is Noah Atubolu or another name, freeing Zetterer to complete his move. It stalls if Freiburg hold firm on Atubolu's valuation and Frankfurt cannot land a replacement in time, since that domino has to fall for Perri's Torino exit and Zetterer's Leeds switch to go through together.