Leeds United have now made a decision regarding Illan Meslier’s future ahead of the January transfer window, a report has revealed.
Is Illan Meslier leaving Leeds?
Meslier was expected to leave Elland Road in favour of pastures new during the summer transfer window, but he ultimately remained at the club, recently revealing he wanted to make amends after playing a part in the club’s relegation to the Championship.
The goalkeeper said: “Sometimes it is difficult to leave when the club is going down,”
“Also, it wasn’t good for me maybe to leave and just leave the club in the second division. You go somewhere to play and see them in the middle of the table in the second division, you think ‘oh no’, you contribute to this result.
“Of course inside you feel guilty because I played most of the games and unfortunately the results were not good.
“I think the best result for me, personally, inside myself, was like ‘OK, stay, play, big performance and try to give your best to put Leeds in the first two places to be promoted directly and let’s see after.”
However, despite Daniel Farke keeping his faith in the goalkeeper this season, handing him six starts in the Championship, there are now indications that he could be moved on in the next transfer window.
According to a report from Football Insider, the Whites remain ready to accept a bid for the Frenchman, having been open to selling him in the summer, when serious interest did not materialise.
Despite the 23-year-old starting every Championship game so far this season, Farke believes he has adequate cover between the sticks, with Karl Darlow also on the books, meaning a sale could still be on the cards.
Leeds previously valued the shot-stopper at around £40m, but given that there was a lack of interest in the summer, there are indications they may need to considering dropping their high asking price.
How much did Leeds pay for Illan Meslier?
After initially joining on loan from FC Lorient, the 6 foot 7 goalkeeper made the move permanent for a reported £5m fee, meaning Leeds are likely to secure a tidy profit if they do manage to get him off the books in the January transfer window.
It may seem a little harsh that a sale is still being considered, given that Meslier has made a solid start to the campaign, averaging a Sofascore match rating of 7.12 in the Championship, having conceded seven goals in his opening six games and labelled “unreal” for his shot-stopping abilities by members of the media.
However, the Whites are well-stocked in the goalkeeper department, with Darlow completing a move to Elland Road at the end of July, and the 32-year-old has a plethora of experience in the second tier, as well as the Premier League.
Selling Meslier for a fee of around £40m would provide Farke with the funds to strengthen other areas of the squad, so the manager should continue to keep him in the shop window by starting him before January, and then look to cash-in.
