Leeds United have plans to keep playing Ilian Meslier while looking to sell the Frenchman by transfer deadline day, according to a new report from Football Insider.
Questions were raised over Meslier’s suitability in goal during last season’s relegation campaign at Elland Road due to continuous errors that the young shot-stopper was making in goal.
When Sam Allardyce took over with four games to go in the previous season, the experienced manager dropped the 23-year-old, placing Joel Robles between the sticks instead.
Meslier has been the centre of some interesting transfer rumours in recent weeks. Last week, Spanish outlet Sport reported that the former Lorient goalkeeper was being lined up by Carlo Ancelotti as a replacement for the injured Thibaut Courtois at Real Madrid.
Los Blancos have recently secured the services of Chelsea’s wantaway keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on a season-long loan and so the Meslier links quickly died out.
Nonetheless, reports of a future sale of Meslier have not gone away, and Football Insider are now claiming that Leeds United will continue to play the France U21 international to place him in the ‘shop window’, but are keen to sell him by the time the transfer window closes.
The outlet added that the Peacocks have set a price tag of between £20-25 million on the goalkeeper’s head and will hold out until this valuation is met by any suitors.
Meslier has started all three Championship games for the Yorkshire club this season and could continue to do so unless a sale is agreed.
Writer’s View
Meslier suits Daniel Farke’s style of play and so it’s not a surprise that the Lorient youth product is one of the first names on the team-sheet.
Selling Meslier on deadline day or just a few days prior could leave Karl Darlow as the club’s number one until January at the earliest which may not be the wisest decision, although it will be hard for the board to turn down £25 million should a club look to match their valuation.
