Why Arsenal are making 'wild' Illan Meslier move despite awful Leeds United record
Arsenal are reportedly set to complete a shock move for newly-released ex-Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
The 26-year-old didn't play a single minute for Leeds in any competition last season, as he quickly learned his place under Daniel Farke for the 2025-26 campaign.
Despite this, the Frenchman had still started all 39 of his Championship appearances in 2024-25, playing a vital role in helping the Whites win promotion.
Meslier's 21 clean sheets and 27 goals conceded that year weren't enough to see him retain his number one shirt in the top flight last term, before he was released as a free agent earlier this summer.
Now entering his prime years as a goalkeeper, the former Lorient talent and French youth international will be looking to prove his Elland Road doubters wrong with his next move.
And he could well find himself very well placed to do exactly that, as the Premier League champions look set to call his number.
What Illan Meslier's Arsenal role will be
Given his outcast status in 2025-26 and his reputation for being a mistake-prone goalkeeper during his time with Leeds, many Whites fans won't have expected Meslier to fall upwards after leaving LS11.
However, that's precisely what he appears to be doing, as a report from The Athletic is claiming that he's set to sign for Arsenal as a free agent.
The report states that his profile matches that desired of Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana, and his arrival will also help free up some desired outgoing business too.
It's suggested that Meslier's signing - despite being described as "WILD" by the Yorkshire Evening Post's chief football writer Graham Smyth on X - should allow young goalkeeper Tommy Setford to leave on loan.
Setford, 20, is an England youth international who is highly-rated at the Emirates, and so Meslier taking the number three spot in the goalkeeping hierarchy would enable Arsenal to feel comfortable they've got the depth to commission a loan exit for him.
Why Meslier has Arsenal demons to banish
Meslier is likely going to be limited to cup football at best with Arsenal, but even so, the chance to sign for the Premier League champions is pretty much a no-brainer for him
During his Leeds career, he lined up against the Gunners six times in the Premier League and twice in cup competitions, and he was never on the winning side.
In fact, he didn't just lose seven of those eight games he played against them, Meslier had a horrid time of things.
Across his six Premier League games against Arsenal, Meslier conceded 15 goals and kept just one clean sheet, conceding four goals in three separate matches.
In total, he shipped 18 goals in those eight games, and so it is perhaps slightly surprising that Arsenal have decided to move for him given the fact he can't have put himself in the shop window to them in this respect.
Nevertheless, this is a brilliant move to have on his CV and an opportunity he can't really turn down, even if he'd probably be better off joining a lesser side elsewhere for the luxury of regular minutes.