Leeds United are in the market for a goalkeeper as it is almost certain that Illan Meslier will leave the club after losing his place in the starting eleven towards the end of the Whites’ run to the Championship title last season.
Karl Darlow stepped up and did a good job of replacing Meslier in the team last season as Leeds won the Championship and earned promotion to the Premier League. However, the former Newcastle man is not seen as the number one ahead of their return to the top flight next season.
Daniel Farke wants a new number one, and Leeds have been scouring the market to identify options, with a number of goalkeepers on their shortlist of targets in the ongoing summer transfer window.
Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot impressed in the Champions League last season, and the veteran goalkeeper has been linked with a move to the Premier League ahead of next season.
Can you name the team Leeds United signed these players from in the 2000s?
Leeds United miss out on Marco Bizot to Aston Villa
It emerged earlier this week that Leeds and Aston Villa are interested in securing a deal to sign Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot in the ongoing transfer window.
It appears Villa have marched ahead in the race to sign him, as according to the Dutch daily De Telegraaf, the goalkeeper is on his way to Birmingham to join Unai Emery’s side.
He was seen boarding a plane to Birmingham earlier today, and a deal is in place between Aston Villa and Brest for the transfer to go through.
Bizot is expected to undergo a medical at Villa soon ahead of signing the most lucrative contract of his career with the Midlands club this summer.
The veteran goalkeeper has been keen to play in the Premier League for years, and is set to complete his dream transfer in the coming days.
Leeds showed an interest in him due to his experience, but it seems Aston Villa are set to sign Bizot ahead of the Whites in the ongoing transfer window.
Bizot would have been ill-suited for Leeds
Leeds are avoiding a major transfer blunder by not signing Bizot, as he doesn’t seem to be equipped to be the first-choice goalkeeper for a Premier League club.
His distribution skills would have suited Daniel Farke’s team, and he is prolific when it comes to sweeping up loose balls off his line, like a modern goalkeeper.
However, he has one of the lowest rankings for save percentage and goals prevented, which would have been a major red flag for the recruitment team at Leeds.
Bizot seems ill-equipped to be a number one goalkeeper at a newly-promoted Premier League side, as his lack of shot-stopping skills would have been a serious problem for Leeds.
He’s signing as a no2 for Villa. An upgrade to Robin Olsen, as would a bag of off cement have been.