Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign a player who has never failed to struggle in the Premier League, with the move freeing up one of two players to leave north London.
The reigning Premier League champions aim to embark on a sustained period of dominance having lifted their first Premier League title in over two decades.
To do so, a handful of impactful additions in the market will be made, with Leandro Trossard ripe for an upgrade.
He is the subject of an agreed club-to-club deal with Besiktas worth a total of €20m. If the Belgian irons out personal terms, Trossard will go and Arsenal plan to sign a superstar left winger, with Morgan Rogers (first choice) and Bradley Barcola in their sights.
At the opposite end of the pitch, however, Arsenal are about to sign a player who it’s fair to say is about to fall upwards.
The Athletic and their Arsenal reporter, James McNicholas, brought news of the Gunners agreeing a deal to sign Illan Meslier.
Arsenal agree deal to sign Illan Meslier
He is the former Leeds United goalkeeper, now 26, who left Elland Road upon expiry of his contract on June 30.
McNicholas stated: ‘Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign goalkeeper Illan Meslier after the expiration of his contract at Leeds United.’
The Athletic man suggested Meslier’s arrival could free up young stopper, Tommy Setford, to gain valuable experience out on loan.
However, TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, has been informed current No 2 to David Raya, Kepa Arrizabalaga, has asked to leave Arsenal in order to once again become a regular starter.
As such, the imminent arrival of Meslier gives the Gunners flexibility to chop and change their goalkeeping ranks behind Raya as they see fit.
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Illan Meslier a surprise signing for Arsenal
TEAMtalk broke news of Arsenal looking into a move for the French free agent at the beginning of July.
Nevertheless, Meslier’s arrival in north London may leave plenty of Arsenal fans scratching their heads.
Put simply, Meslier struggled mightily during his tumultuous spell with Leeds, and at times, looked far below Premier League standard.
The Whites signed Lucas Perri to be their new No 1 ahead of last season. When Perri flopped too, there was no thought of recalling Meslier, with Daniel Farke instead turning to Welsh veteran, Karl Darlow.
As such, Meslier barely played a game last season, with his only two competitive appearances coming in the Premier League 2 where he shipped six goals in 180 minutes of action.
A recent report from The Athletic’s Leeds expert, Beren Cross, shed light on just how poorly Meslier’s stint in west Yorkshire wound up.
Meslier conceded more goals than any other Premier League goalkeeper in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.
In that latter campaign, in which Leeds were relegated to the Championship, the late-season arrival of Sam Allardyce saw Meslier dropped in favour of Joel Robles. Per the reporter, those two seasons saw Meslier’s confidence ‘shot to pieces’.
Meslier was then ‘steady’ in the Championship, though infamously threw away a win when allowing a ball to bounce past him in the final moments versus Sunderland. That unforgettable moment can be viewed here.
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The final straw came late in the 2024/25 season when Meslier threw away three points against Swansea City.
Cross explained: ‘Even [Farke] could not overlook the nadir of Swansea City in March 2025.
‘In what was supposed to be another regulation win for Leeds, the Frenchman had saved a penalty, but conspired to let the visitors score twice in a 2-2 draw, with sloppy control at a corner and poor positioning for the late equaliser.
‘That was the last time he appeared in a first-team Leeds game.’