Exclusive: Paul Robinson slams Meslier agent, urges club to sign Tom Heaton
We’re delighted to welcome former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Leeds United
Paul Robinson has criticised Illan Meslier’s agent, who has said that teams like Real Madrid will be interested in the Leeds player in the near future.
Xavier Fleury said that he was advising Meslier to stay at Leeds for now but Robinson believes that the agent is just trying to drum up interest in the player to line his own pocket.
With doubts over Kiko Casilla’s future at the club, Robinson wants Leeds to sign Aston Villa’s Tom Heaton in the summer and he thinks that would quickly shut Fleury up.
Talking exclusively to MOT Leeds News Robinson said, “Meslier doesn’t need this. The lad’s just established himself at a club for the first season.
“That’s an agent trying to tout his player around and I’d be very surprised if the likes of Real Madrid were looking at Meslier to be their number one.
“He’s not going to go to a club like Real Madrid just to sit on the bench.
“It’s his agent with over-inflated ideas and seeing a way to over-inflate his bank balance again.
“Meslier just needs to concentrate on his football and develop his ability at a club where he’s going to play every week.
“Agents like that you don’t need, he’s just trying to line his own pockets and move the player while he’s playing well.
“I’d love to see Tom Heaton sign for Leeds in the summer.
“If Leeds signed Heaton he’d have a good chance of establishing himself as number one and then I can guarantee his agent wouldn’t be talking about Real Madrid any more.”
Heaton has lost his place in the Aston Villa side to Emiliano Martinez, who has been one of the best keepers in the entire Premier League since signing from Arsenal.
There would seem to be no place back into the side for the £42k-a-week stopper who could fancy a new challenge at Leeds.
Leeds fans would certainly prefer Heaton as back-up to Meslier in place of the unpopular Casilla.
In other Leeds United news, Adrian Durham expects to see something ‘absolutely sensational’ at Leeds