Leeds United have an ongoing dilemma in goal as summer signing Lucas Perri fails to nail his place. But, Illan Meslier’s exile from first team plans continues.
Leeds were forced to spend big on replacing Illan Meslier during the summer window after promotion. The Frenchman had gone from one of the most highly-rated young ‘keepers in Europe, to one axed for Karl Darlow in our Championship run-in.
His replacement, Lucas Perri, hasn’t exactly proven to be a drastic improvement. It means Darlow has been reinstated as the current first choice.
Illan Meslier set to leave Leeds United for free as Turkish transfer window shuts
Meslier is out on contract in the summer and all signs point to him leaving the club for nothing as things stand.
There was talk of him being subject to a last-gasp offer from Turkish giants Besiktas earlier this week. Their transfer window was open until Friday.
However, having also seen a bid knocked back for Perri, Besiktas finally got their hands on a new stopper. They brought in Roma’s Denis Vasquez.
It leaves Meslier’s options likely shrinking to an inevitable exit on a free transfer during the summer window, if he intends to stay in Europe after his 26th birthday.
Illan Meslier’s Leeds United exile continues with U21 outing on Saturday
Unsurprisingly, Meslier wasn’t named in Leeds’ squad that came out on top against Nottingham Forest on Friday night. Darlow put in a solid display in shot-stopping and distribution, while Perri watched on from the bench.
However, Meslier is in action this weekend, named in goal for the U21s’ PL2 fixture away to Manchester City:
It outlines how far Meslier has fallen out of favour under Farke. From being an undisputed starter for Leeds and named as the best in the Championship by the German in August 2024, he’s now featuring for Leeds’ U21s in February 2026.
In fairness, if Meslier isn’t going to be getting a look in for our senior side, having him feature for the U21s could be an ideal avenue.
At least he’s keeping sharp. And, he’ll provide plenty of experience to our youngsters tonight in a tough game.
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