Illan Meslier fails upwards – How broken Leeds star’s downfall can have dream ending
Illan Meslier has had a rollercoaster career at Leeds.
Meslier burst onto the scene at Leeds when he first arrived from Lorient, and was one of the best young goalkeepers in the Premier League.
High-profile errors led to Meslier being dropped by Sam Allardyce as Leeds were relegated from the Premier League.
Daniel Farke reinstated him, but then he was replaced as the Whites were chasing promotion last year.
Meslier now appears as though he could be in for a shocking move to a European giant, with his Leeds career coming to an end.
MOT Leeds News looks back at the Frenchman’s time at Elland Road and how it went from promising young ‘keeper to outcast and now potentially playing Champions League football.
Illan Meslier’s early promise
Meslier was signed from Lorient in 2019 on an initial loan deal and brought in late in the season, keeping seven clean sheets in ten games to help secure promotion.
The French shot stopper made his move permanent and put in some brilliant performances over the next season and a half.
Pundits such as Paul Merson were full of praise for Meslier, with calls for him to be included in France’s 2022 World Cup squad.
Meslier’s performance away at Liverpool in October 2022, where he made nine saves, showed the best of his abilities, but his struggles were to come.
Sam Allardyce first manager to spot Illan Meslier’s flaws
Allardyce was brought in to help save Leeds from relegation at the end of the 22/23 season, which he ultimately failed to do.
Allardyce made the bold decision to drop Meslier for the final four games of the campaign after he struggled for form.
| Season stats 24/25 | Illan Meslier |
| Goals conceded | 27 |
| Shots saved per game | 71% |
| Goals prevented | -2.73 |
The Frenchman was brought back into the line-up by Farke in the Championship, but continued to be uninspiring in Leeds’ run to the Play-Off final.
Farke dropped Meslier for the last seven games of last season, amid a string of high-profile errors, causing Leeds to drop crucial points in the race for promotion
Where next for Illan Meslier? Top European clubs linked with shock move
Meslier’s future at Leeds was under scrutiny all summer, with his former club, Lorient, and Valencia both linked with moves.
It doesn’t appear as though Farke has the goalkeeper in his plans, with the 25-year-old being third choice behind Lucas Perri and Karl Darlow.
Inter Milan are reportedly in for a shock move for Meslier in January as they search for a new second-choice goalkeeper.
Fellow Serie A clubs Como, Fiorentina and Roma are thought to be interested in the Frenchman alongside Rangers.
It would be quite the turn for Meslier to be in a Champions League squad after being relegated to third choice at Elland Road.
Whether the move happens or not, Leeds fans will remember his early promise, but will always recall the poor goalkeeping that nearly cost them promotion.
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