Illan Meslier wanted in late deal by former Leeds coach as clock ticks down to deadline
Illan Meslier’s future at Leeds United remains in doubt ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday.
Daniel Farke has made summer signing Lucas Perri his new number one and Leeds have been offering Meslier out for between £5million and £6million.
The 25-year-old Frenchman has been guilty of a catalogue of goal-bound errors in both the Premier League and the Championship for the Whites, leading to Farke’s decision to replace him as his main man in goals.
Lorient have been linked with re-signing Meslier this summer.
However, a surprise option has emerged for the goalkeeper to head to Spain.
Carlos Corberan wants Illan Meslier at Valencia
Leeds‘ former Under-23s manager Carlos Corberan is reportedly keen on a reunion with Meslier at Valencia.
Corberan left West Brom to become the Valencia manager in December 2024 and he’s now got his sights on raiding Elland Road for a late signing, according to The Times.
Spain’s transfer window doesn’t close until 11pm, meaning there’ll be plenty of time after the English transfer window closes at 7pm on Monday night.
- English transfer window shuts at 7pm
- Teams in Scotland and Spain have until 11pm
- Portuguese clubs have until midnight
- Dutch clubs have until 11pm on Tuesday
- Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Greece windows close later in September
Since Perri’s arrival at Leeds from Lyon, Meslier hasn’t made a single matchday squad in a competitive game for the Whites.
Karl Darlow has overtaken him as Farke’s second choice, with the ex-Newcastle goalkeeper starting over the Frenchman against Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup last week.
How will Illan Meslier be remembered by Leeds fans?
It’s fair to say that Meslier showed a lot of promise when he first took the number one spot from Kiko Casilla.
He made a lot of mistakes as a youngster but a lot of the time, they were glossed over by the fact that he was still learning the ropes and most goalkeepers don’t really reach their potential until their 30s.
But as the years went by, Meslier continued to make huge errors that led to goals.
His ability to defend crosses in the box, especially at corners, has always been a major concern and ultimately, he needed to be replaced by Farke.
Meslier won’t be remembered for being great, unfortunately.
Farke and Sam Allardyce have both been forced into dropping him and that’s sadly meant that his spell at Elland Road is over.
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