Leeds United ready to accept agreeable bid for Illan Meslier as mutual feeling emerges – Phil Hay
Leeds United are now prepared to accept an “agreeable fee” for Illan Meslier if one is made for the goalkeeper this summer, according to Phil Hay.
Writing on The Athletic website on Friday (23 July), Hay reported that while Leeds are not “fishing for offers” for the 23-year-old goalkeeper, there is a mutual feeling that it’s best he moves on this summer with a move on the cards for July.
It is understood that Chelsea and Tottenham have previously shown an interest in the French shot-stopper but a deal for him last summer was “off limits”.
The Athletic’s Hay adds that the market for Meslier isn’t as active as it was but once a new manager is hired, it should “grease the wheels on the recruitment front”.
Let him go
Meslier had a shocker of a season last season and, in truth, the fact he’s a young goalkeeper has been used as an excuse too many times.
As a shot-stopper, Meslier is good. He’s not outstanding, he’s not bad. He’s just good.
The former Lorient goalkeeper’s command of the box is poor and his positioning at set-pieces has, at times, been comical with the Frenchman regularly stepping into his own goal and conceding instead of staying ahead of the goal line.
Sam Allardyce came in and dropped Meslier at the back-end of last season with the now-former Leeds manager admitting the number one goalkeeper was “not happy” to lose his place to Joel Robles.
However, Robles didn’t put a foot – or glove – wrong, and many fans may now rather have the more experienced Spaniard in between the sticks next season than Meslier, who could fetch a decent fee this summer.
In other Leeds United news, two unnamed managers may now be interviewed at Elland Road.