Illan Meslier ‘to leave Leeds United’ with replacement already named
Leeds United have now secured promotion from the Championship, but their campaign was in jeopardy for a few weeks.
Daniel Farke’s side will now compete in the Premier League next season, despite a wobbly run of form raising questions about their promotion push in recent months.
Several disappointing results came in quick succession, with goalkeeper Illan Meslier to blame for most of them after a string of disastrous errors.
Meslier was eventually dropped for veteran Karl Darlow, and a decision has now been made over the Frenchman’s future at Leeds.
Sam Johnstone targeted as Meslier replacement
Meslier is now set to leave Leeds, with a new goalkeeper targeted to replace him, and Farke is clearly keen on a Premier League-proven option.
The Daily Mail reports in its print edition (page 65, April 23) that Meslier is “expected” to leave Leeds if an offer comes in, and a new goalkeeper will arrive to replace him.
| Competition (2024/25) | Appearances | Goals conceded | Clean sheets |
| Championship | 39 | 27 | 21 |
It is claimed that Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is on the list as a potential replacement for Meslier, with the England international out of favour at Molineux.
Although a new goalkeeper will certainly be welcomed at Elland Road with open arms, there are several concerns over whether Johnstone is the best option.
Would Johnstone be a good signing for Leeds?
Johnstone would come with a fair amount of Premier League experience, having made 73 appearances in the competition across several clubs, and at his best, he made it into the England squad.
However, Johnstone is now 32, and the long-term signs for him are worrying. He joined Wolves last summer to replace Jose Sa as their number one option, but he found himself falling down the pecking order after a series of mistakes.
The goalkeeper would arrive with just 10 Wolves appearances under his belt, in which he kept just one clean sheet and conceded 19 goals, and this would not inspire confidence in the back line.
A younger option could be better in the long run, or an experienced goalkeeper in reliable form would be the safer bet, but Johnstone currently ticks neither box despite his strong performances in the past.