Daniel Farke makes ‘remarkable’ Illan Meslier admission as Leeds exit decision confirmed
Illan Meslier is unlikely to leave Leeds in January.
After Leeds’ 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace, the Whites have opened up a six-point gap on the bottom three, and that could be increased to nine with a win away to Sunderland after Christmas.
However, that means very little in the grand scheme of things, with a long way to go between now and the end of the Premier League campaign.
Leeds‘ ability to maintain that advantage will largely be determined by the business they can do in January, with incomings expected just as much as outgoings.
In regard to the latter, Meslier has been linked with an exit from Elland Road, and Daniel Farke has since spoken out about where the future lies for the Frenchman.
Leeds plan revealed for Meslier
Lucas Perri has sparked some concern at Leeds, but he remains as Farke’s number one, with Meslier forced to settle for a role as backup.
The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the campaign, leaving many to assume that the Whites would look to cash in on him when the chance emerges in January, but that does not seem to be the case.
Instead, Farke wants to keep Meslier at Elland Road, as he sees him as a key part of the squad, even if he isnt getting the gametime he wants.
As quoted by The Yorkshire Evening Post, the German manager said: “The intention of mine is to give every player, even if a player is at the moment not that much involved, just on the bench or not in the squad, like Illan.
“I’ve made my feelings clear about him. I rate him so much. A goalkeeper full of potential, unbelievably young for a goalkeeper.
“At this young age to have had so many Championship and Premier League games is remarkable. It’s also a joy to work with him every day.“
Are Leeds making a mistake with Meslier?
Leeds bemoaned the lack of PSR wiggleroom in the summer when fans were left questioning why they didn’t bring in a striker at the end of the window.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s incredible form has nullified those concerns, but the point stays the same.
If the Whites are to make the most of the January window, they need to stay within PSR, and to do so,m they will have to offload some of their fringe players to some extent.
Given Meslier’s role as a squad player, it would have made sense to secure a fee for his exit, as opposed to losing him for free in the summer.
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