Leeds United are looking to bring in reinforcements in the winter window, but they are facing a complicated PSR situation. The Whites need player sales in order to have room in their budget to bring in new faces in the middle of the season.
Illan Meslier has not played a single minute of football and has a contract that is set to expire at the end of the season. The Frenchman is not part of the club’s plan, and they unsuccessfully tried to get rid of him last summer.
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Inter Milan are amongst the suitors who are prepared to sign him, but they may want to wait until the end of the season to snap him up on af free transfer, rather than pay a fee to Leeds in January.
Anderlecht have emerged as one of his key suitors ahead of the winter transfer window, and they are even prepared to pay a small fee for Meslier in the coming months.
However, one more club have joined the race for Meslier.
Two clubs approach to sign Leeds United star Illan Meslier
Leeds wanted to sell Meslier in the summer, but the club didn’t receive any suitable offers, and he stayed back at Elland Road.
Lucas Perri’s injury meant that he was back in the matchday squads briefly, but he is again out of Daniel Farke’s plans once the Brazilian returns to action.
Anderlecht are interested in signing the Frenchman in the winter window, and have been weighing up making a move for him in January.
However, according to Belgian daily Voetbal Krant, Club Brugge have joined the race to sign the goalkeeper from Leeds in the winter transfer window.
The two Belgian giants have made informal approaches to understand the potential terms of a deal to sign the Leeds goalkeeper in January.
Leeds are open to selling Meslier in the winter window, as it would get them a small fee from his departure rather than watching him walk away as a free agent in the summer.
The Frenchman’s contract, worth £30,000 per week, is on the expensive side for both clubs. However, they are prepared to meet his salary demands through various contractual mechanisms.
Leeds would be happy to get a small fee
The Whites have some PSR concerns ahead of the winter window and need player sales to generate some profit and create headroom for new signings.
Meslier was bought for £5m in 2020, and any money from his sale in the winter window would be booked as pure profits in Leeds’ balance sheets.
It would only bring in a nominal fee, but it would still help create some financial room to add new reinforcements, potentially at least one loan signing.
Wilfried Gnonto has also been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, and Leeds could get a fee from Joe Gelhardt’s sale in January if a few clubs want to sign him on the back of his performances at Hull.
Meslier’s sale could be more crucial than anyone realises, and the interest from Belgium would be music to Leeds’ ears.
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