Illan Meslier ‘won’t survive’ as Leeds goalkeeper tipped for big exit
Tony Cascarino fears that Leeds United may need to replace their entire team in order to survive in the Premier League next season.
Leeds remain on course for a return to the top-flight despite a slight drop-off in form over recent weeks, and with eight games of the season remaining, they sit joint-top of the Championship on goal difference.
Daniel Farke’s side are the second-tier’s leadings scorers and have the best goal difference in English football’s top four divisions, yet their promotion credentials still hang in the balance as the run-in nears.
The likes of Ao Tanaka, Daniel James and Junior Firpo have been standout performers for Leeds this term, but with a huge summer on the horizon, even United’s best players may not be safe from the axe.
Meslier and Firpo questions emerge at Leeds United
Farke has, at the admission of pundits aplenty, the strongest squad of any team in the Championship this term, despite Leeds’ failure to bring in an additional centre-forward option in the winter transfer window.
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GD | Points |
| 1 | Leeds United | 38 | 23 | 11 | 4 | +51 | 80 |
| 2 | Sheffield United | 38 | 25 | 7 | 6 | +25 | 80* |
| 3 | Burnley | 38 | 21 | 15 | 2 | +41 | 78 |
However, Tony Cascarino wasn’t optimistic in his verdict of how well Leeds’ squad would be able to compete at Premier League level, singling out Firpo and Illan Meslier as two players who just can’t cut it.
Speaking on talkSPORT (23 March, 9:44am), Cascarino said: “You look at Leeds, if they get promoted – will the goalkeeper [Meslier] survive? Probably not.
“Will Firpo, and many others at Leeds, will they be Premier League players? That goes [for] any team that gets up – you know that nearly a new team has to come along with that journey.”
Leeds must get transfers right to avoid familiar fate
Leeds levelled a Championship record by winning 90 points and not winning automatic promotion last season; beaten to the top two by Leicester City and Ipswich Town, who won 97 and 96 respectively.
However, Leicester and Ipswich are on course to head straight back down with just 17 points apiece, both sitting nine points behind 17th-placed Wolves and well adrift of safety with nine games to go.
The failures of both Leicester and Ipswich to build on their promotion-winning campaigns is a cautionary tale for Leeds this summer, and amplifies the need for Leeds’ owners to get their recruitment right.
Farke’s side have already been linked with a number of players if they do return to the top-flight, but with six promoted teams from six heading back down in the last two seasons, they’re already up against it.