Illan Meslier was expected to leave Leeds United in the summer after losing his place in the starting eleven towards the end of Leeds United’s promotion campaign in the Championship. However, the Frenchman stayed put and the club have a situation to fix in January.
Meslier attracted interest from clubs in England, Turkey and France in the summer transfer window. However, Leeds didn’t receive any suitable offers for the Frenchman, and he stayed put at Elland Road beyond the end of the window.
Ahead of the winter transfer window, the Frenchman is again getting linked with a move away from Leeds, and the club are keen to offload him, given his contract expires at the end of the season.
He has suitors in Italy, where Inter Milan are interested in securing a deal for the Frenchman, and he has also attracted interest from Scottish champions Celtic.
Leeds United take a key Illan Meslier transfer decision
Celtic are in the market for a goalkeeper as they are seeking to bring in a new long-term replacement for Kasper Schmeichel, whose form has dropped this season.
Meslier is one of the goalkeepers the club are tracking, and the Scottish champions have made a tentative approach to sign him on a free transfer in January.
Celtic are banking on Leeds agreeing to terminate Meslier’s contract in January to let him leave as a free agent, like Patrick Bamford did last summer.
However, according to TEAMTalk, Leeds are in no mood to let Meslier leave on a free transfer in the winter transfer window to facilitate Celtic signing him.
Leeds are open to letting him leave on a nominal fee to claw back some of the money they paid to sign him more than five years back.
Celtic’s efforts to sign him on a free transfer are likely to be rejected as the Whites want to earn some fee from the Frenchman’s departure in January.
It could also dissuade Inter Milan, who are also looking at the prospect of signing the French goalkeeper on a free transfer in the winter window.
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