Leeds United are not considering selling keeper Illan Meslier in January as they are concerned about being unable to find a suitable replacement, say French media.
This is according to French radio station RMC, who claim that the young Frenchman is on the radar of several clubs including Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Newcastle United.
A constant in Leeds manager Jesse Marsch’s starting XI, Meslier’s ability between the sticks would make him a top signing for any side.
What’s more, the fact that he is only 22 years old means he has plenty of time to develop his game even further.
Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich seem to share this perspective, with RMC’s report indicating that they view him as the ideal replacement for the ageing Manuel Neuer, who finds himself injured for the remainder of the season.
Chelsea and – more recently – Newcastle, have witnessed Meslier’s prowess in net first-hand in the Premier League this term, as the goalkeeping heroics of the French youngster helped the Whites keep a clean sheet against both sides.
Despite this interest, Leeds remain reluctant to sell Meslier as it would be almost impossible to acquire another goalkeeper of his quality in such a short space of time.
The Yorkshire club will be hoping that the head of the Frenchman won’t be turned should an offer from one of the interested parties materialise.
Must stay
Meslier has been one of Leeds’ most consistent performers since breaking into the Whites first team and as such it is critical that they keep hold of him in January.
His impressive displays between the sticks have assisted Leeds in gaining vital results countless times, and with this season shaping up to be another tightly contested one, it remains highly likely that his services will prove crucial once again.
Considering the speculation surrounding him, however, it is beginning to look a matter of when – not if – Meslier will leave.
It is hard to blame him. Out of all Leeds’ young prospects, Meslier is the one I’m most confident of becoming a regular for his international side and he needs to move to a bigger side in order to do that.
That time is not here yet though. For the sake of Leeds’ Premier League survival this season, they must convince Meslier to stay at all costs.
