Promotion to the Premier League or another season in the Championship, Leeds United will likely be in the market to replace goalkeeper Illan Meslier in the coming months.
Illan Meslier is enduring a dismal year. The Frenchman is costing Leeds points in the race for promotion, making direct errors against Hull City, Sunderland, Swansea, Preston, Portsmouth and plenty of others.
Daniel Farke continues to stick by Meslier. He defended the Frenchman after being guilty of all three against Hull, and the chances are he’s going to start again at Luton with Karl Darlow waiting in the wings.
But come the summer, the feeling is that Meslier has run his course at Leeds. The Whites, whatever league they are in, will surely be looking to bring in a new goalkeeper and are already being linked with options.
Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images
How much Leeds will have to spend to sign Aaron Ramsdale
England international Aaron Ramsdale has been linked with Leeds, if the club are promoted to the Premier League. Ramsdale is currently at Southampton, having joined last summer for a huge £25m fee.
But things have not gone to plan at Southampton, sitting rock-bottom of the Premier League table and relegation a formality. Graeme Bailey has told LeedsUnited.News how much Ramsdale will cost to leave.
“They’re [Southampton] not going to take a loss on him, for sure. Ramsdale will have options, so we’ll see. He lives in Bournemouth, and Kepa won’t be staying. For the moment, he will be going back to Chelsea.”
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
The clause in Ramsdale’s Southampton contract that helps Leeds
It has emerged that there is a relegation release clause in Ramsdale’s contract, and with Southampton set to go down, that clause will come into play. It is unclear how much that clause is currently valued at.
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Leeds and Bournemouth are interested, as are Newcastle – though Burnley’s James Trafford is Newcastle’s first-choice to provide competition for Nick Pope. It all hinges on promotion for Leeds this summer.
Go up, and Leeds will have a chance to sign Ramsdale and players of that calibre. Failure to do so, and any chance of rivalling Bournemouth for his signature dissipates into thin air – Leeds must get promoted.