Leeds United urged to consider Rotherham or Burnley swoops to replace inconsistent regular
FLW’s Leeds United fan pundit believes Burnley or Rotherham United hold the answers to the club replacing Illan Meslier.
This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Illan Meslier has cemented himself as Daniel Farke’s go-to goalkeeper this season, featuring in almost every Championship fixture so far, but the Leeds United goalkeeper has come under plenty of criticism recently.
His clean sheets have racked up in 2024, with the Frenchman top of the pile in that particular metric, albeit only two have come since the international break, which may be of concern to Farke and his team, especially during the end-of-season run-in.
There were plenty of rumours and speculation surrounding Leeds’ goalkeeper during the summer, but the Frenchman remained at Elland Road. Meslier was expected to depart Leeds throughout the summer and was a player that reports suggested the Whites would sell.
The position between the sticks has been unchanged in the league almost all season for Farke, who knows who his number-one is. Leeds do not lack goalkeeping options with Karl Darlow but the current number-one is their most talented option, in the form of the 24-year-old, who has featured in 42 out of 45 league games.
However, the Whites will be aware that Meslier is a player that they can easily turn a profit on, having spent around £5 million on the Frenchman during the summer of 2020, and with seven goals conceded in the last two games, there have been concerns raised once more.
Recently, Leeds have been credited with an interest in Viktor Johansson of Rotherham United, while Stoke City are also expected to make a move in the summer, now their Championship status is secured. He is in the last year of his deal for a relegated side, and it has been reported that Johansson has a release clause in his contract that will allow him to leave the Millers for a fee of around £1 million now that the club’s relegation has been confirmed.
The verdict on Illan Meslier’s Leeds future and replacement
FLW’s Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith has given his reaction to Meslier’s recent displays, as well as his verdict on the links to Johansson.
He said: “The QPR game, for me, made my mind up quite comprehensively that we can’t keep relying on Meslier in the long-term. It proved once-and-for all, to a lot of Leeds fans who have been very vocal on social media, that Meslier should not be the number-one.
“Whenever the pressure is really on our team, he is rarely the one to bail us out, and is usually one of the first few to fold in actuality.
“Yes, he might pull off the odd great save – such as Leicester away or Sunderland away – or a top performance against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, but he’s still massively underperforming in a lot of metrics long-term over the course of a season.
“It just isn’t enough for us now, but we’ve known it for a while. We’re at the point now, for me, where we should cash-in no matter what this summer, no matter what division we’re in.
“With that money, you can reinvest and probably end up improving in the process. Who we’d sign remains to be seen, and it will largely hinge on which division we’re in, obviously.
“Johansson is the name that stands out to me straight away. He’s an incredible shot-stopper that would cost a mere fraction of what we could get from selling Meslier to a team across Europe.
“He’s the only reason Rotherham weren’t relegated sooner, and he really impressed me in person when he came to Elland Road. It could have been double figures if he wasn’t between the sticks.
“His athleticism to get across goal and command his area is something that caught my eye. It’s something we’ve lacked for a long time.
“However, if we do go up and are looking at options specifically for the top-flight, then I think it would be worth looking at Arijanet Muric at Burnley.
“Despite the few mistakes that he has made in recent weeks, I think he would be a really good option for us.
“He’s been key for Burnley lately, and more or less kept them in a survival battle. If the worst should happen, and they do get relegated, then he’d be worth a lot less for us.
“We could snap him up on a cheap deal. He’s a big, imposing shot-stopper and very confident on the ball, so is someone we should definitely have our eyes on if we go up.
“If not, then Johansson is an absolute no-brainer for any team looking to push into the top two in the Championship. The only question would be how good he is with his feet and playing out from the back.
“That’s something that Meslier has struggled with, but is an area where Muric excels. We don’t really see it from Johansson because of how they play, but there’s nothing in his game to suggest that he can’t do that.”
| Illan Meslier’s career stats – per Transfermarkt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Appearances | Goals conceded | Clean sheets |
| Leeds United | 144 | 253 | 49 |
| Lorient | 30 | 32 | 11 |
| France U-21 | 13 | 7 | 9 |
Meslier’s best form came during his first 18 months as Leeds’ number-one after Marcelo Bielsa selected the Frenchman for the back end of the promotion campaign, but he has scarcely been able to recapture that, aside from the months from January-March this season, where he was back to his best.
However, the mistakes in games recently perhaps highlight the need for better quality long-term, whilst the save against Leicester City showcased the Frenchman at his best. Meslier is also an easy player to help balance the books against Profit and Sustainability regulation rules, too, which provides an extra incentive for Leeds to sell him during an upcoming window.
Given that he enters the final two years of his deal, they may be minded to offer him a new deal or sell, but can hardly stand in his way if a top-flight offer comes his way, and Leeds themselves look to upgrade.
