Phil Hay: Casilla not been happy, Leeds want to move him on
Phil Hay claims that Kiko Casilla has not been happy at Leeds United and that if he doesn’t make it back into the squad before the end of the season he will be “done”.
He also claimed that Leeds want to move him on.
Casilla was dropped from the Leeds squad on Monday for the 2-0 defeat to West Ham, with 19-year-old Elia Caprile coming in.
Casilla posted a cryptic Instagram message after the game that seemed to hint at an exit from the club, although he tried to row back from that afterwards.
Talking on the new episode of the Phil Hay Show podcast, the Athletic journalist said, “He [Bielsa] was clear on Monday there was no injury to Casilla and that it was a tactical move for want of a better move.
“What it meant is that you had a goalkeeper in Meslier starting who is 21 and you had a keeper on the bench, Elia Caprile, who isn’t even 20 yet. That combination is very rare to see two keepers with such little experience.
“I think it’s been over for Casilla here in real terms since the FA charge and the suspension.
“My understanding is that he is a player they are thinking of trying to move on this summer… he is a player they would like to replace.
“Casilla was on a very high Championship wage and he would have got an uplift with promotion. It’s not a straightforward move.
“I have never got the impression that Casilla has enjoyed the last year and has found it very difficult, he’s found the tension and the criticism of him hard to handle.
Phil Hay went on to say that he didn’t know if Caprile being on the bench would last until the end of the season but added, “If it is, you can say for certain that Casilla is done.”
No sympathy
It’s very hard to have any sympathy for Casilla now – that ship has long since sailed.
Leeds fans, who were already very cold on him, were not at all impressed with the Instagram message he posted this week and didn’t buy his explanation afterwards.
One thing is certain, if Casilla does go in the summer, Leeds will need a new goalkeeper.
Meslier is already very young for a Premier League goalkeeper and Elia Caprile has no senior experience.
MOT Leeds News columnist Paul Robinson wants Leeds to bring Tom Heaton in from Aston Villa and he would definitely be a signing that goes down well with the fans.
And he would be a much better mentor to Meslier than Casilla.
In other Leeds United news, Chris Kamara shares class email he received from Marcelo Bielsa – Leeds fans will love this