Manchester United are considering knocking on the doors of bitter rivals Leeds United for the services of Illan Meslier.
Manchester United are looking to bring in a new shot-stopper who can rival Andre Onana for a spot in the starting XI. According to a report from The Sun, the Red Devils are looking to reignite their interest in the services of Leeds United mainstay Illan Meslier and could soon make a move to sign the French goalkeeper from their bitter rivals.
Onana who arrived at the club in the summer of 2023 had a very disappointing debut campaign. He struggled for the majority of the last season but things have been much better this time around. While he has been doing most things right, United are still keen on brining in a new goalkeeper who can put some pressure on the 28-year-old and compete with him for a spot in the starting XI.
While they have complete faith in Onana, the same cannot be said about their second-choice keeper Altay Bayindir. The Red Devils forked out £4.3 million to secure his services from Fenerbahce during the summer. While he was expected to rival the former Ajax shot-stopper for a place in the team, the Turkish goalkeeper hasn’t been able to reach the expected levels.
He has hardly had enough game time with all his minutes coming in the EFL Cup where he has conceded six goals in three outings. Bayindir had a tough day at the office against Tottenham mid-week as he let in four goals.
They are not convinced that he is the right man for the job and their search for a new goalkeeper is already underway. While they would like to wait until the summer, United could launch an assault mid-season if they find a buyer for Bayindir in January.
United want to bring Meslier to Old Trafford
The Manchester-based club are looking at Leeds’ 6ft 5in mainstay as an ideal goalkeeper for their squad. They were interested in two years back but dropped their pursuit after he went through a rough patch following their bitter rivals relegation.
While they might not have made a move, United have been keeping a close eye on him ever since. Their goalkeeping scout Tony Coton is a huge admirer of Meslier as he considers him to be one for the future. He has been regularly watching him in action and is convinced that the 24-year-old could be an interesting signing for the Red Devils.
With 12 clean sheets in his 22 outings, Meslier has been the second-best goalkeeper in the Championship and Manchester United are seriously considering signing him to compete with Onana for a place in the team.
