Illian Meslier’s disastrous performance at Hull City at the weekend has added more fuel to the debate about Leeds United needing a new goalkeeper in the winter transfer window. The Frenchman was at fault for two of the goals in their 3-3 draw and there are now real conversations about whether the Whites need someone new in their race for automatic promotion to the Premier League in the second half of the season. If Leeds manage to convince Caoimhin Kelleher to drop down to the Championship for half a season, it could sew up promotion for them this term.
Leeds dropped two precious points in a game that they should have won at the MKM Stadium on Saturday. Leeds were cruising towards a 3-1 win until Meslier dropped a clanger and allowed Hull a way back into the game.
The Whites are still at the top of the Championship standings but only have a one-point lead at the top and are just two points ahead of fourth-place Sunderland.
It is clear that the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League will be tight and Leeds cannot afford to make the kind of mistakes they committed at Hull this weekend.
Meslier’s performance this season has been inconsistent and unless he picks up his game in the latter half of the season, Leeds could struggle a bit to keep themselves in the race for automatic promotion.
Leeds fans want the club to bring in a new goalkeeper to boost their promotion hopes and there is one in the Premier League who could be up for a move in the winter window.
Leeds United must push to sign Caoimhin Kelleher
Caoimhin Kelleher did produce some fantastic performances in the absence of Alisson Becker earlier in the season, which included a penalty save against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
However, the Ireland international has again been warming the bench since Alisson returned from his hamstring injury and is unlikely to get much game time for the rest of the season.
He will have a year left on his contract in the summer and is almost certain to leave Liverpool to become a number-one goalkeeper somewhere else.
However, Leeds must push hard to see whether Kelleher is prepared to push for a move in the winter window if he is guaranteed regular game time, even in the Championship.
The Yorkshire giants need a goalkeeper of quality and Kelleher will be a massive upgrade on Meslier or any other goalkeeper in the Championship.
The Ireland goalkeeper is good enough to play as the number one for one of the top Premier League sides and agreeing to play in the Championship would be a downgrade for him.
But Leeds must knock on his door to check whether he is ready to take up the challenge of getting the Whites back to the Premier League in the second half of the season.
A deal will be hard to pull off
Liverpool are expected to sell him in the summer but it is unclear whether they are prepared to let him leave in the winter window.
Alisson has been picking up muscle injuries more frequently and the Reds would want a goalkeeper of Kelleher’s quality in the reserves until the end of the season.
However, if the player pushes to move on in the winter window it could complicate Liverpool’s plans for him for the rest of the season.
Leeds must push to land him and it would have to be a loan deal with Liverpool paying a considerable percentage of his wages during the potential loan stint.
The Whites could accept to include an obligation to buy for a certain figure if Kelleher helps them to get promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season.
Signing the Ireland international would make sporting sense for Leeds but a deal would have to make financial sense to both the clubs.
