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Leeds United could recoup £5 million for goalkeeper Illan Meslier before the end of this summer's transfer window
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French goalkeeper Meslier is expected to leave Elland Road ahead of the September 1 transfer deadline after several years with the club. Meslier was ousted as first-choice between the sticks towards the end of last season after a string of errors led Leeds boss Daniel Farke to replace him with back-up Karl Darlow for the final seven games of their title-winning Championship campaign. Leeds have added Olympique Lyonnais stopper Lucas Perri in a permanent deal this summer, who took Meslier's No. 1 shirt during a recent pre-season friendly. It is widely expected Perri will start in goal for Leeds on Monday night when their 2025-26 season gets underway versus Everton. Meslier did not participate in Leeds' friendly fixture against AC Milan in Dublin last weekend. “We decided to play two goalkeepers so it was not necessary for him [Meslier] to travel, ” Farke said. Sources have told Four Four Two the player considers his time at Leeds to have come to an end with the expectation he will be sold for a fee in the region of £5-6 million this summer. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Once regarded a 'wonderkid' following his 2020-21 Premier League season under Marcelo Bielsa, Meslier's performances at Leeds in more recent seasons have been criticised by supporters. In addition, a number of high-profile errors have not aided the 25-year-old's Elland Road cause. Still a young player in goalkeeping terms, Meslier boasts vast experience in English football but Four Four Two has been told the player prefers a return to the continent, where his representatives are understood to be working on drumming up interest in a move. Meslier arrived in England, initially on loan in 2019, from French club Lorient. He signed permanently with Leeds in the summer of 2020 having displaced previous first-choice goalkeeper Kiko Casilla at Elland Road. Due to the time Meslier has spent at Leeds and the relatively low fee he arrived for, which has been all but amortised, a sale would represent an accounting profit for the Whites in their 2025-26 financial report. Meslier is rumoured to have vacated his Yorkshire property following the end of last season, in anticipation of a move away from the newly-promoted club. Joe joined Four Four Two as senior digital writer in July 2025 after five years covering Leeds United in the Championship and Premier League. Joe's 'Mastermind' specialist subject is 2000s-era Newcastle United having had a season ticket at St. James' Park for 10 years before relocating to Leeds and later London. Joe takes a keen interest in youth football, covering PL2, U21 Euros, as well as U20 and U17 World Cups in the past, in addition to hosting the industry-leading football recruitment-focused SCOUTED podcast. He is also one of the lucky few to have 'hit top bins' as a contestant on Soccer AM. It wasn't a shin-roller. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
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