Leeds United are closing in on signing Illan Meslier on a permanent deal (via TEAMTalk).
The 20-year-old is currently on loan at Elland Road from FC Lorient in France but according to the report, the Whites have the option of making his stay in Yorkshire permanent for £4.75m.
Meslier has stepped in as Marcelo Bielsa’s number one since Kiko Casilla was banned having been found guilty of racially abusing Charlton Athletic’s Jonathan Leko back in September (via BBC Sport).
The young stopper has made six appearances in the Championship this season, conceding four goals and keeping three clean sheets (as per Transfermarkt.co.uk).
Are you convinced of Meslier's ability to play at Premier League level?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts…
Given his age and positive performances, in our view, Meslier at £4.75m would represent a good piece of business. It remains to be seen whether Marcelo Bielsa will look to bring in a more experienced goalkeeper ahead of the Frenchman should the Whites earn promotion to the Premier League, but in our view, regardless of whether they do or not, we believe Meslier is one for the future.
The Championship club needs just ten points from their remaining league fixtures, going into their fixture at Stoke City in order to secure promotion back to the top-flight for the first time since they were relegated in 2004.
If they can achieve the promotion the club have been waiting for, we believe, Meslier will go down in Leeds United history forever regardless of whether he stays on next season or not.