€10m Goalkeeper Refuses Leeds United Links: Does Daniel Farke Need Him? | OneFootball

Ukrainian journalist Mykhailo Spivakovsky spoke directly to Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk during the club’s championship celebration, and the keeper’s response was telling. As reported by Konkurrent, Riznyk flatly stated he had “no information” about any Leeds United approach, adding that media reports were all he had to go on. Leeds were said to have made an initial offer to Shakhtar ahead of the summer window opening.

Leeds United face a goalkeeping dilemma as €10m target speaks out

Football 24 reported a formal £8.5m bid had been tabled by Farke’s side, though Shakhtar’s management offered no public confirmation. Riznyk carries a Transfermarkt valuation of €7m and holds a contract running until December 2027. The 27-year-old has been exceptional this season, featuring 37 times and keeping 21 clean sheets while conceding just 26 goals, numbers that have clearly caught attention beyond Ukraine.

He stands at six-foot-three and registered a save percentage of 73.7 per cent in the Ukrainian Premier League this season. The goalkeeper’s agent, Vadym Shablii of Agency Pro Star, is managing his future. Leeds United, for their part, have a genuine need between the sticks heading into 2026/27, with Karl Darlow out of contract, Illan Meslier unfancied, and Lucas Perri failing to perform as expected.

Why Leeds United genuinely need to act this summer?

TORONTO, ON – JUNE 7: Tajon Buchanan #17 of Canada scores a goal against Dmytro Riznyk #23 and Oleksandr Tymchyk #18 of Ukraine during the second half of their Canadian Shield Tournament match at the BMO Field on June 7, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)

The goalkeeping situation at Elland Road has quietly become one of Daniel Farke‘s most pressing concerns. Meslier, once the undisputed number one, spent this entire Premier League campaign frozen out. Darlow filled the void reliably enough, but a 35-year-old stopgap is not a sustainable plan for a club trying to build Premier League stability. Perri, signed expensively from Lyon last summer, has not justified the investment. Leeds United need a confident, consistent number one who can command the position for the next three to four seasons.

Is this Leeds United move realistic?

Riznyk’s dismissal of the reports is worth taking with some scepticism. Players frequently distance themselves from transfer talk during sensitive periods, particularly when celebrations are involved. His statistics are legitimate, his valuation is fair, and Leeds United have the financial motivation to act early.

However, the jump from the Ukrainian Premier League to England’s top flight is a significant one, and Riznyk has never left Ukraine professionally. That is a real concern. We feel that Leeds should continue chasing this move if the price stays close to €10m, but simultaneously keep alternative targets warm. Riznyk could be an intelligent, cost-effective signing, but betting the 2026/27 season on an unproven Premier League presence would be a risk Leeds cannot afford to take lightly.