Leeds United transfer news: Whites 'make enquiry' to sign second-string Brighton player this summer

Leeds United have reportedly enquired about the summer availability of Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Carl Rushworth.

The 24-year-old is currently spending the 2025-26 campaign on loan in the Championship at Coventry City, who are all-but guaranteed automatic promotion back to the Premier League for the first time in two decades.

Karl Darlow started in net for Leeds on Monday night as they secured a rare Old Trafford win over Manchester United, with summer arrival Noah Okafor bagging a brilliant first-half brace in the 2-1 win.

Daniel Farke's side are known to be in the hunt for a new shot-stopper ahead of the new campaign, with Manchester City and England keeper James Trafford supposedly of interest to the Elland Road club.

The youngster is fighting against Dean Henderson, Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale for the honour of being Jordan Pickford's deputy in between the sticks for England at this summer's World Cup.

Leeds make Rushworth enquiry?

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds have dipped into the second-tier scene as they look to find a long-term replacement for Illan Meslier, who is heading towards an Elland Road exit at the conclusion of the campaign.

The report claims that the Yorkshire outfit are among a number of Premier League clubs that have enquired about the services of Rushworth, with the goalkeeper enjoying an excellent temporary spell at Coventry this season.

On his sixth separate loan spell of his Brighton career, Rushworth has never played a competitive match for the Seagulls, who are competing in and around the European spots on a regular basis in the Premier League for the first time in their humble history.

It remains to be seen whether the South Coast club wish to integrate the 24-year-old into their first-team plans next season, given his exceptional campaign at The Coventry Building Society Arena under the tutelage of Frank Lampard.

That decision could depend on whether Brighton's first-choice keeper Bart Verbruggen departs before the beginning of 2026-27, with a number of elite European clubs supposedly keen on the Dutchman.

Leeds' goalkeeping union

During last season's title-winning run in the Championship, Meslier was the clear favourite in net for the bulk of the matches, before a string of high-profile mistakes forced Farke into a shuffling of his pack.

Darlow played the final games of the campaign as the Whites lifted the second-tier trophy, with Frechman Meslier failing to work his way back into the first-team plans at Elland Road in any form.

Meslier has been extensively linked with a switch away from Leeds over the course of this season, with a move to Scottish giants Rangers mooted, as well as a return to former club Lorient.