Leeds United are reportedly set to sign Illan Meslier.
If rumours are believed, Leeds United have made a decision on Illan Meslier’s future.
The 20-year-old Lorient goalkeeper joined the Whites on a season-long loan last summer but hasn’t played a huge amount of football.
In fact, the Frenchman only made his senior league debut for Leeds two weeks ago in the 4-0 demolition of Hull City, after Kiko Casilla was hit with an eight-match ban.
Meslier’s performance in the FA Cup defeat by Arsenal in January offered a glimpse into the player’s huge potential and, according to The Mirror, the Elland Road side are ready to trigger a clause to sign him permanently.
Ouest France have reported that Meslier will set Leeds back around £5 million, but it’s still a brilliant bit of business if it goes through.
There’s a lot of financial perks of getting into the Premier League and that’s exactly where the West Yorkshire side are heading, with Marcelo Bielsa’s troops top of the Championship right now.
For context, Aston Villa have spent £140 million on players since sealing their top-flight return, while Fulham also spent nine figures a year before them after, escaping the Championship.
So although £5 million seems a big chunk of money to spend on a 20-year-old, it’s a drop in the ocean if Leeds get back into the top tier, especially given Meslier’s talent.
As noted, Meslier is only 20 and he clearly has a very bright future ahead of him, as many Arsenal stars will testify to after that performance at the Emirates, and there’s no reason why he can’t be worth an absolute fortune in a few years, with solid Premier League experience at his back.
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