Illan Meslier to join Champions League club as Leeds United exit prediction emerges
We’re delighted to welcome former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson as our exclusive columnist as each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Leeds United…
Paul Robinson has claimed Leeds’ goalkeeper position may have to be addressed after he backed Illan Meslier to move to a Champions League side in the future.
Despite a season which ended in a predictable relegation with Leeds, Meslier has proved he is a capable goalkeeper with a bright future.
At just 23 years old, the Frenchman has been a mainstay for Leeds United in the Premier League and a France youth regular and had been tipped for a move to top Premier League sides earlier this season [Express].
Meslier was, however, axed by Sam Allardyce at the back-end of last season after he was hired as Leeds’ manager on a short-term basis.
Robinson claims that in light of relegation and Meslier’s obvious quality, Leeds may have to dip into the goalkeeper market and be “realistic” about Meslier’s future at the club.
Speaking exclusively to MOT Leeds News, Robinson said: “I think the biggest problem Leeds are going to have is the outgoings. We need to see who’s going out first. Meslier didn’t have a great end to the season but he’s a highly rated goalkeeper.
“I personally think he will go on and play in the Champions League. He’s playing at a very high level at a young age and he’s got the attributes and mentality to cope with it.
“That will be an area to look at if he was to move on I’d love for him to stay at the club and play in the Championship next year, but we have to be realistic about the situation that the club is in.”
Leeds’ defence was the worst in the Premier League last season with them shipping 78 goals, Meslier was not at fault for this and has still produced impressive stats over the last year.
His 7.9% crosses stopped (87th percentile) [FBRef] shows his command of a penalty area coupled with a “towering height, the enormous wingspan, a strong grasp of the basics” [The Athletic] show that he has the ability to remain at the top level.
In other Leeds United news, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that a medical is ongoing for the departure of one of Elland Road’s most exciting attackers.