Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly set to battle it out for Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who is “clearly on his way out” of Elland Road.
Chelsea and Manchester United are both interested in Leeds United shot-stopper Illan Meslier, and both could be ready to try to sign the 22-year-old Frenchman next year. That’s according to Media Foot, who claim the young goalkeeper could be set to leave Elland Road in 2023, with Leeds already eyeing Dinamo Zagreb and Croatia World Cup star Dominik Livakovic as a contingency replacement.
The 22-year-old has caught the eye of several elite clubs in the Premier League and around Europe with his mature and impressive performances for Leeds ever since he was thrown into the deep end during the 2019-20 season.
Marcelo Bielsa brought Meslier to Elland Road from FC Lorient in the summer of 2019, initially on loan. Leeds then made the deal permanent a year later for a measly €6.5 million fee. Since then, the French stopper has really impressed with the West Yorkshire outfit.
He has conceded 166 goals in 103 games for Leeds, keeping 27 clean sheets in the process, which is decent given the Whites’ backline have tended to leave the goal wide open during Marcelo Bielsa’s days, and that hasn’t changed much under Jesse Marsch either.
He has been one of the first names on the team sheet under Jesse Marsch and is contracted at Elland Road until 2027, meaning that his side will not let him leave unless for top dollar. Chelsea and Manchester United have both set their sights on him and are potentially weighing up big-money moves to acquire him in 2023.
With Edouard Mendy weighing up his future at Stamford Bridge after losing his No. 1 role to Kepa Arrizabalaga due to his lack of ball-playing ability, Chelsea are in the market for a new goalkeeper. In fact, as per the above report, the Blues are open to offloading both Mendy and Kepa to upgrade their goalkeeping department.
The Blues have been linked with a plethora of players in recent months, with Graham Potter supposedly wanting to reunite with Brighton’s Robert Sanchez. Though he isn’t the only talented Premier League goalkeeper on Chelsea’s radar.
Chelsea have been keeping an eye on Meslier even before his move to Leeds and could well revisit their long-standing interest in him.
Noted for his distribution as well as his impressive shot-stopping and reflexes, he fits Potter’s system, which demands a goalkeeper good with his feet to aid the team’s build-up play.
Manchester United, too, are in the market for a shot-stopper, with David de Gea not getting any younger at 32 years old and his contract expiring in 2023. Although the club can activate a clause to extend his deal by a further 12 months, it wouldn’t be surprising if De Gea is shown the exit door.
Meslier would be a good upgrade on the Spaniard, as he has excelled with his ball-playing abilities. The odd error here and there aside, the French wonderkid has world-class potential.
