As it stands, when/if the 2019/20 season is started up again, young French keeper Ilhan Meslier is the #1 at Elland Road. This is due to Kiko Casilla’s eight-game suspension for racially abusing Jonathan Leko. This situation could be made more permanent according to David Anderson writing in the Mirror.
Anderson is adamant in his view that this situation will be made permanent saying unequivocally that “Leeds will sign Ilhan Meslier permanently for £6million at the end of the season” before adding the proviso that this is “if they win promotion to the Premier League.”
Meslier is currently nearing the end of a season-long loan from French Ligue 2 side Lorient and has largely featured for the Under-23s and as Casilla’s back-up before being thrust into the spotlight and Leeds’ starting line-up as they geared up for a promotion run-in. It is an opportunity that the youngster has snatched with both hands, keeping clean sheets against both Hull City (0-4) and Huddersfield Town (2-0).
These clean sheets helped to stretch United’s win-streak to five games, a run that has seen them reclaim the Championship’s top-spot before social distancing needs locked down football as the coronavirus continued its spread across the globe.
Meslier has been at Lorient since he was six, although this could be about to come to an end with Anderson’s news. The 20-year-old is highly thought of at Elland Road and has generally impressed since being brought into the club after being spotted by United’s specialist goalkeeping coach, Marcos Abad.
The praise has been good for the young stopper whose ‘modern keeper approach’ really fits into Marcelo Bielsa’s ethos that a goalkeeper should be an 11th player on the pitch. All that needs to happen now is for the season to start up again, Leeds United to win promotion and Meslier will be a £6million permanent arrival at Elland Road.