Recent reports from the French outlet FootMercato highlight a sharp slide in Illan Meslier‘s standing at Elland Road. Since January, talk has heated up about the Frenchman’s next move after Sport Witness noticed eyes on him from La Liga and AC Milan. While the Italian giants eventually tied down Mike Maignan with a new deal, Meslier languishes in a professional rut.
The 26-year-old keeper has basically dropped off the map under Daniel Farke, failing to make a single appearance during the 2025/26 season. Farke triggered this total shutout when he surprisingly benched the keeper in March 2025, which many think broke the bond between the player and the club for good.
Even though he played a massive part in the team that climbed back to the top under Marcelo Bielsa, he just watches from the sidelines now. With his contract running out this June, he looks set to walk away for nothing, perhaps heading back to his old club, Lorient.
Does Leeds United Truly Benefit from Freezing Out Meslier?
Right now, the Frenchman sits as third-choice behind Karl Darlow and Lucas Perri, while Leeds United sit precariously in 15th place in the Premier League. His stats for this year don’t exist since he hasn’t touched the pitch for the senior team, only appearing for the Under-21s to stay somewhat sharp.
He used to have a big name as a 1.97m left-footed shot-stopper, but his valuation has crashed from a high of €22m down to just €12m.
Looking at it from Leeds’ side, keeping a former France Under-21 international on the bench while his transfer value dies represents a massive mess-up in squad handling. He sometimes loses focus or fumbles crosses, but his reflexes still beat what most backups offer. Farke clearly trusts Darlow’s consistency more, but the club will get zero transfer funds this summer because they failed to sell him when they had the chance.
The Whites don’t need a checked-out, unhappy Meslier, but they definitely needed the millions a sale would have brought in. He will likely sign a pre-contract with a French or Turkish team in the coming weeks, closing a once-bright chapter in total silence.
