Leeds United could make summer move for Illan Meslier upgrade who’s top of Chelsea’s wishlist

Leeds United could make summer move for Illan Meslier upgrade who’s top of Chelsea’s wishlist
Wed 26 February 2025 09:00
Luke Phelps
For Leeds United and Daniel Farke, it might be in their best interested to replace Illan Meslier should they achieve promotion this season. The Frenchman is making far too many mistakes.
Illan Meslier is in a pretty strange situation right now. The Frenchman is statistically the second best goalkeeper in the Championship right now with 20 clean sheets to his name: only Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has more.
Yet still, Meslier has had a pretty poor season. Meslier scored an own goal against Sheffield United last time out with his teammates saving his blushes with a strong comeback late on, eventually winning 3-1 at Bramall Lane.

In games against the likes of Hull City this year too, Meslier has made costly errors, with many Leeds United fans tired of Meslier playing in goal and calling for Karl Darlow to be introduced to the starting XI.

Daniel Farke has defended Meslier throughout the season. But ahead of the summer transfer window and ahead of a likely return to the Premier League, Leeds are being linked with a potential new no.1 in Caoimhin Kelleher.

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Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images

Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images

Leeds United could make summer move for Caoimhin Kelleher
Leeds United have been linked with Kelleher throughout this season. But all the while it’s seemed like a pretty ambitious move for the Whites with Liverpool previously valuing Kelleher at £25million. But the Irishman is out of contract in the summer of 2026 and Liverpool are tipped to sell Kelleher in the upcoming summer transfer window.

And an emerging report from TeamTalk has now revealed that Leeds United ‘could yet make a fresh move to sign’ Kelleher this summer. But Farke’s side will face strong competition from Chelsea for the signing, with the Blues having made Kelleher a top target.

Journalist Simon Phillips recently revealed: “For the goalkeeper, names are being put together still up until June, and new names will enter the fray too. The main name we keep hearing there though is still Caoimhin Kelleher.”

READ MORE: £10m winger was actually open to joining Leeds United in January, admits Championship recruitment chief
Photo by Harry Murphy – Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by Harry Murphy – Danehouse/Getty Images
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What Daniel Farke said about Illan Meslier after Sheffield United
If Leeds hadn’t had made that emphatic comeback against Sheffield United last time out then they’d be in 2nd place of the Championship table right now. And Meslier would be blame as it was his own goal and mistake that had the Blades in front until the 72nd minute.

But despite yet another blunder, Farke defended Meslier after the Sheffield United game. The German said: “I wouldn’t blame him. We lost the ball pretty cheap. We deserved to concede this goal. It was the wake up call we needed.”
But there’s only going to be so many times that Farke can defend Meslier. This summer, expect Leeds to target a new no.1 to replace Meslier who’d be a good no.2, but who might fancy moving on himself, with a new setting likely needed for the 24-year-old to get back on track.

Kelleher would be a great signing for Leeds but beating Chelsea to the deal will prove difficult.