Deal agreed as Leeds United close in on signing of 31-year-old | OneFootball

Leeds United have agreed a fee with Salford City as they close in on the signing of goalkeeper Alex Cairns.

Leeds United have agreed a fee with Salford City for Alex Cairns as they close in on a deal to sign the goalkeeper to provide more depth in Daniel Farke’s squad.

It was announced on Monday that Leeds had sold third-choice keeper Kristoffer Klaesson to Polish side Rakow, which meant the Whites were going to be on the lookout to sign someone to provide further competition behind Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow.

Since then, reports have suggested that Cairns is a target, with the 31-year-old currently contracted to League Two side Salford.

Leeds United agree fee to sign Alex Cairns

And, in a fresh development, Football Insider has confirmed that the two clubs have come to an agreement, with Cairns now set to make the move to Elland Road for a 'six-figure' fee.

Crucially, the update adds that personal terms have already been sorted between the stopper and the Yorkshire outfit, so it’s now a case of just finalising the minor details to sign it all off.

The report explains that Cairns’ deal with the Ammies is expiring in 2025, so he has just entered the final 12 months of his contract, with no offer forthcoming about an extension, which allowed Leeds to step in.

Leeds United return makes sense for Alex Cairns and the club

This will not be the first time that Cairns has been at Leeds, as the keeper actually came through the ranks at the club, which is part of what will make this an appealing signing for the Whites.

That means he will add to the homegrown quota within the squad, with all clubs in the Championship needing to have eight players within the group.

So, whilst this is not going to be the most eye-catching deal of the window, Leeds have added an experienced figure as a backup who adds to the homegrown quota as a bonus.

During his initial spell with Leeds, Cairns only made one appearance for the club, so he was forced to leave in 2015 in search for regular football, which came at Fleetwood Town, where he made over 200 appearances before leaving for Salford in 2023.

From the perspective of the player, even though Cairns is unlikely to feature for Farke, it’s a chance to return to a club that will mean a lot to him.

He will also hope his know-how can help in the dressing room, and he will try to push Meslier and Darlow on a day-to-day basis.

Leeds United’s summer transfer plans

As outlined above, this is not the big transfer news that Leeds fans will be looking for this summer, but it’s a necessary bit of business after Klaesson’s exit, and it means they won’t be left short in a key position.

For a third-choice keeper, it’s good that they have someone who has hundreds of Football League appearances under his belt, and if an injury crisis does hit, Cairns would have the experience to step in.

There have been doubts about the future of Meslier, and if he was to move on, you would still expect Leeds to be in the market for a new keeper.