£5m star looking set for Leeds United exit as Whites eye Southampton FC ace | OneFootball

Meslier may leave the Whites with Ramsdale replacing him ahead of next season

Leeds United have been linked with a summer move for Southampton and England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, with current stopper Illan Meslier believed to be on his way back to his native France, according to a new report.

The Whites are well on their way to a return to the Premier League this season, but for all their free-flowing attacking play that has helped them go seven points clear of third place as it stands, their sole weak link has arguably been between the sticks.

Meslier is approaching the end of his sixth season at Elland Road, after he initially signed on loan from Lorient in 2019, and the move was made permanent a year later following promotion and some impressive form under Marcelo Bielsa.

He has been the Whites' first-choice keeper ever since, and while he has been linked with a whole host of big moves to top clubs over the years for some standout showings in the top-flight, his stock has lowered this term after numerous mistakes that have made Leeds needlessly drop points in their promotion push.

Leeds interested in Aaron Ramsdale amid Illan Meslier links to France

Given Meslier's inconsistent performances this season, it is no surprise to see Farke's side register their interest in a potential summer signing who would undoubtedly want to be number one at Elland Road in the Premier League if he was to join.

Leeds United News' football correspondent Graeme Bailey has claimed that Southampton keeper Aaron Ramsdale is a player of interest to the Whites and is firmly on their transfer radar ahead of this summer.

Ramsdale has made 21 appearances in all competitions for the Saints this season, and has been one of their standout performers despite Ivan Juric's side looking set for an immediate relegation back to the Championship.

Bailey has also claimed that he is "getting the sense" that Whites keeper Meslier "might very well move back to France" this summer. Leeds paid Lorient a fee of around £5 million nearly five years ago, and they would undoubtedly be looking for a sizeable profit on that figure if he were to leave ahead of next term.

Leeds need an upgrade on Meslier if they get promoted

Leeds' promotion challenge has been pretty relentless throughout this season, but they will need to add some more quality to their squad in the summer if they are to be competing at the highest level in 2025/26. In that sense, a new goalkeeper is surely a priority for Daniel Farke.

Meslier's talent is not in doubt, as he has proven his credentials in the Premier League previously and been linked with moves to the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, but his confidence has looked as low as ever this season and his mistakes have only not been seriously costly due to the Whites' abundance of attacking talent.

Last time out against Sheffield United was a perfect example of just that, as his shaky start at Bramall Lane was compounded by an own goal that saw him palm a Tyrese Campbell header into his own net to allow the Blades to take the lead.

It wasn't until the 89th minute that Leeds came back to win the game through Ao Tanaka's header from a corner, and his mistake was forgotten as the game ended 3-1, but the blunder could easily have been the reason that they only took home a point and so did not have such a wide gap between them and Burnley in third.

Whether Ramsdale is a clear upgrade remains to be seen, as he has also had his fair share of criticism for mistakes in the past. His strong points, though, are exactly what Farke wants from his goalkeeper, as he has great distribution and strong reflexes.

The 26-year-old only joined Saints last summer in a £25m deal from Arsenal, but is thought to have a relegation clause written into his contract, and so a deal could well be realistic if Leeds are willing to stump up some cash from a Meslier sale.