Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier to leave Premier League club this summer

THIRD-choice Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier will leave the Elland Road outfit this summer – following the expiration of his contract at the end of June, the club have confirmed.

The Frenchman has endured a fraught second half of his career with Leeds, having not featured in a competitive first-team fixture since late March 2025 – when he was dropped following a series of errors in the 2024-25 run-in.

Last season, he was leapfrogged by Lucas Perri and Karl Darlow in the pecking order.

Meslier was continually linked with moves last summer, with the likes of Rangers, Celtic, Como, Valencia and Anderlecht all rumoured to be interested in the former France youth international, as were Besiktas towards the end of the winter window earlier this year.

But the 26-year-old remained in West Yorkshire. He will now finally depart at the end of his deal to seek a new start in football after a difficult past few years.

Meslier secured his first-team break at Leeds in the second half of the 2019-20 title-winning season under Marcelo Bielsa after making his debut in an FA Cup tie at Arsenal in January 2020.

The young custodian, who joined the club initially on loan from Lorient, impressed in starting 10 of Leeds’ last 11 matches, conceding just five goals to help secure Championship silverware.

His move was made permanent in the summer of 2020 and he was first choice for the next three seasons.

Meslier stayed put following relegation back to the second tier and won the Championship Golden Glove and a spot in the PFA’s Championship Team of the Season in 2023-24.

He also played an important role in the club’s record 100-point campaign in 2024-25, which saw Leeds win the league once more and return to the Premier League, keeping 21 clean sheets in 39 matches.

He made a total of 215 appearances for United.