Strasbourg aim to pounce on ‘golden opportunity’ to sign Leeds star after ‘nightmare’ campaign
Illan Meslier is once again being linked away from Leeds United, with Strasbourg the latest side to show interest in the goalkeeper.
The Frenchman has had a terrible campaign to date after becoming an outcast in the Peacocks’ squad.
To date, the goalkeeper is yet to play a single minute this campaign, with Lucas Perri now ahead of the 25-year-old in the pecking order.
As a result, Meslier has been linked with moves to Inter and AC Milan ahead of his contract expiring in the summer.
Now, Strasbourg have joined the race for the goalkeeper as speculation continues over his future.
Strasbourg looking to strike pre-contract agreement for Illan Meslier
With the January transfer window mere weeks away, Meslier’s departure from Elland Road could soon become official.
Given the goalkeeper’s contract situation, it appears inevitable that he will depart over the next 12 months.
However, if a new contract isn’t signed by January, clubs outside of England are free to talk to Meslier and potentially sign a pre-contract agreement.
- Meslier is yet to play a minute of football for Leeds this season
- The goalkeeper has fallen out of the manager’s plans
- As a result, he is linked with numerous moves across Europe
According to Jeunes Footeux on 27 November, this is exactly what Strasbourg are hoping to do.
The article states that the Ligue 1 side want to stabilise their goalkeeping situation and are closely monitoring the Leeds keeper.
It goes on to say that Meslier is having a “nightmare” season at Elland Road and wants to play football again.
Therefore, Strasbourg see January as a “golden opportunity” to capture the keeper as he can negotiate freely with clubs due to his expiring contract.
Why hasn’t it worked out for Meslier at Leeds?
Before the 2024-25 campaign, Meslier was highly rated at Leeds, winning the Championship Golden Glove and featuring in the Championship Team of the Season.
However, last season would prove to be disastrous for Meslier at Leeds as he made numerous mistakes which eventually resulted in him being dropped by Daniel Farke.
According to Fotmob on 28 November, the goalkeeper made three errors that led to goals, while also having just a 70.7 save percentage.
| Illan Meslier’s Championship stats last season | Per 90 minutes |
| Saves | 1.67 |
| Save percentage | 70.7% |
| Goals prevented | -0.08 |
| Clean sheets | 0.54 |
| Errors leading to goals | 0.08 |
Therefore, it is clear why Farke eventually dropped the Frenchman, and it remains to be seen if he is able to bounce his career back.
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