Birmingham City lose out to Arsenal in transfer battle for ex-Leeds United man | OneFootball

Arsenal have beaten Birmingham City to a transfer involving Leeds United with Chris Davies making an attempt with a different offer to the Gunners...

Birmingham City are active in the transfer market in searching for upgrades for 2026/27 and they eyed a deal involving Leeds United, but Arsenal were the winners instead.

Chris Davies' Birmingham City side have already signed a couple of players, including Middlesbrough captain Dael Fry on a free transfer and Jhon Solis on a permanent deal after his loan spell last season.

They are hoping to improve a defence which conceded 56 goals last term, with only four teams conceding fewer. However, James Beadle and Ryan Allsop only kept 10 clean sheets in 50 games between them overall.

Not only that, but Beadle was on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion and has since returned to the club. It leaves Allsop and youngster Bradley Mayo as the only options on the books for Davies and co, meaning at least one addition is likely to join the club.

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The free agent market can often prove a goldmine for Championship clubs like Birmingham, particularly when players in their peak years with proven Premier League and Championship pedigree become available without a transfer fee.

Naturally, it allows clubs to strengthen key areas while preserving funds for wages or further recruitment. It can often provide outstanding value in a fiercely competitive division.

With clubs increasingly conscious of spending, the opportunity to sign established performers who require little adaptation to the physical demands of English football is one that promotion hopefuls are rarely willing to ignore.

Illan Meslier is a 26-year-old goalkeeper and he has spent the last seven years contracted to Leeds United. In that time, he eventually replaced Kiko Casilla and the Frenchman then became the regular number one up until the end of March 2025.

He racked up 215 appearances for Leeds, with Meslier since departing on a free transfer after falling below Karl Darlow in the pecking order. He was also stripped of the number one shirt for Lucas Perri, who was the hero for the Whites in their FA Cup penalty triumph at St. Andrew's in February.

Meslier's future perhaps looked likely to be back in France for many, but The Athletic reported yesterday that he was headed to Arsenal to compete with the likes of Kepa and David Raya.

Since then, The Daily Mail report Birmingham are understood to have offered to make Meslier to be their new number one at St. Andrew's, but the report states that they couldn't match the terms on offer for the goalkeeper at Arsenal.

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On paper, missing out on Meslier may appear a disappointment for Birmingham. A goalkeeper with extensive Premier League and Championship experience at just 26 years old would ordinarily represent an outstanding free-agent opportunity.

However, Blues may actually have dodged a bullet. Meslier's final season at Leeds was littered with costly mistakes, most notably against Swansea City, Hull City, and Sunderland. In truth, those high-profile errors directly cost valuable points. Those were far from isolated incidents, with confidence appearing to drain from his game as the campaign progressed.

Daniel Farke's decision to replace him with Darlow ultimately proved to be pivotal, with it not unreasonable to suggest Leeds' promotion push could have unraveled had Meslier remained between the posts. Remarkably, Leeds still amassed 100 points despite their goalkeeper issues.

To this day, it's fair to wonder whether an even greater tally could have been achieved with more reliable performances in goal. His move to Arsenal is perhaps surprising, although a likely role as third-choice goalkeeper significantly reduces the pressure. Birmingham are therefore justified in pursuing alternative options for such a crucial position.