Leeds United’s promotion under Marcelo Bielsa saw a number of players excel in the top division, and given the club’s youth, many of them drew interest from Europe’s premier teams.
Raphinha did go to Barcelona. Kalvin Phillips has joined Manchester City. Jack Harrison had been associated with several Premier League clubs, and Illan Meslier was a popular name.
Meslier was linked with Chelsea last summer as well. More recently, it has been associated vaguely to Bayern Munich. However, interest in Meslier, who was billed as France’s future number one, has waned, coinciding with a downturn in his form.
Well, form and confidence are returning. This season, they’ve kept 17 clean sheets in 38 games, conceding only 20 goals. SPORT, a Spanish news outlet, reported on him this morning, noting previous interest in him.
The report details Meslier’s journey from being one of Europe’s most sought-after goalkeepers in the summer of 2021 to remaining with Leeds in England’s second division. However, he is on his way back up.
Leeds’ Illan Meslier is getting interest from European clubs.
Indeed, the story indicates that Real Madrid and Barcelona were once interested in him, with Meslier being nicknamed the future Thibaut Courtois. If he wants to return, he must first get Leeds promoted.
Then excel next season. There is no doubt that if Leeds does advance, Meslier will remain an important player in the 2024-25 season. However, failing to do so will likely result in Meslier, among others, leaving.
Meslier is now leading the Championship in clean sheets, and that form will need to continue if he is to help us get promoted and attract those big clubs again this summer.
