"I personally would not sell him" - Claim made on Illan Meslier's Leeds United future amid Darlow "fear" | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds United fan pundit has given his verdict on Illan Meslier's future at the club

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 been a divisive figure throughout his time at Leeds United.

The Frenchman has come under fire from high profile errors at Elland Road, having been the team’s first-choice goalkeeper since 2020.

There has also been plenty of speculation over his future at the club over the years, particularly since the club suffered relegation to the Championship in 2023.

With the club now fighting for a place back in the Premier League, the 24-year-old’s future has become a hot topic among supporters.

Illan Meslier future verdict

When asked about Meslier’s future, FLW’s Leeds fan pundit Joe Blackburn has claimed that the young shot-stopper isn’t quite at the level of a Premier League goalkeeper.

However, he has suggested that a permanent sale in the summer wouldn’t be the right move, even if it’s what he expects at this point.

“Illan Meslier is one of those players that everyone seems to have roughly the same opinion of at the minute,” Blackburn told Football League World.

“I spent a little bit of time on my own YouTube channel against the grain thinking it’s fine, he’ll come through, he’s still young, every goalkeeper makes errors.

“But, the big chunk of this season has brought me round to the position of I don’t think he will be a good enough goalkeeper to start in the Premier League.

“Whether or not that means we sell him in order to sign a first-team player, it’s probably the wise move in order to free up more funds and make sure we get a genuine top tier goalkeeper.

“But the big question isn’t whether he’d be starting or not, it’s will he be our second choice, or will we have to revert to Karl Darlow? Personally, I wouldn’t sell him just because I think there’s a lot of fear in me around Karl Darlow.

“I don’t think he’s quite at the level, so it would be good to have a first team goalkeeper and Meslier learning from them.

“But he doesn’t start next season, and I personally would not sell him but it’s a very likely prospect.”

Meslier has featured in all 30 of Leeds’ league games so far this season, with the team two points clear at the top of the Championship table.

Meslier’s future will be a key summer decision at Leeds

Meslier’s been an influential figure at Leeds for quite some time now, and he is still only 24.

However, high profile errors remain an issue, with his blunder away to Sunderland earlier this season one that stands out amid their push for automatic promotion.

If Farke’s side does gain promotion, then upgrading the goalkeeper is something Leeds should be weighing up quite heavily.

And given Meslier’s experience, he also remains a very sellable asset and is someone the club could catch a good fee for, so it would make sense to cash in instead of holding onto him, especially with his contract set to expire in 2026.