Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier wants to complete a summer departure from Elland Road, according to reports in the last 48 hours.
When did Illan Meslier join Leeds?
The Whites shot-stopper put pen to paper on a permanent deal at Elland Road back in 2020 following a successful loan spell the season before from FC Lorient, and during his three years at the club, he’s gone on to firmly establish himself as number one between the sticks.
In the Premier League last season, the 23-year-old started 34 out of the 38 matches during the reigns of Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia, but upon the arrival of Sam Allardyce, he was dropped to the bench for the final four games of the season and replaced by Joel Robles who has since departed.
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The France youth international still has another three years to run on his contract in Yorkshire, but there’s a chance that he could secure an exit before the end of the ongoing window having caught the eye of several clubs in the top-flight following relegation to the Championship.
Chelsea are the side to have been the most heavily linked after the player himself publicly admitted that he would be open to joining them, but Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are also believed to have held an interest, and it seems as if he feels like he’s destined to achieve bigger things.
Is Illan Meslier leaving Leeds?
According to Football Insider, Meslier is "keen to quit" Leeds this summer, though it is worth noting that "no offers have yet been made" by any potential suitors.
The LS11 star "does not want to play" in the second tier next season and is therefore looking for a move elsewhere, but with the above-mentioned clubs having since all recruited in their goalkeeping departments, he may have to "explore" his options in Spain, Italy or France. The Whites view their regular as a "sellable asset" and have placed a £20-25m price tag on his head.
Whilst Meslier only managed to keep five clean sheets last season in the Premier League, Leeds equally weren’t helped by their struggles in the backline and the goalkeeper receiving three man-of-the-match awards, via WhoScored, showed the individual impact that he had despite failing to avoid relegation.
The Lorient native ranked in the 93rd percentile for defensive actions outside of his area and the 87th percentile for crosses stopped, showing that he’s not afraid to leave his net and be commanding in the box to clear the danger, alongside making some “unreal” saves, as hailed by reporter Graham Smyth.
The Whites’ £30k-per-week earner also helped the side to achieve promotion when he was on loan so already knows what it takes to compete at the top end of the table in the second tier, meaning that he could be a perfect character to keep in the building as Daniel Farke looks to get the club back to the top-flight at the first time of asking, however, with Karl Darlow now signed from Newcastle, Meslier's days in Yorkshire could be numbered.