Leeds United: Italian giants join race for Illan Meslier amid Arsenal, Man United interest | OneFootball

Illan Meslier is being linked with a host of clubs, with Fiorentina the latest to show interest in the Leeds United goalkeeper.

Italian giants Fiorentina have joined Stade Rennais in the race for Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, with Man United's interest said to be cooling.

The latest comes via TEAMtalk. He has been Daniel Farke's go-to goalkeeper since his arrival at the club, featuring in almost every Championship fixture over the last two seasons. He should continue to do so for the whole season as the new vice-captain of the club as well.

However, now in his sixth season with the Whites, there are no more excuses for the Frenchman and some errors that have been costly this season, making a sale especially worth considering now that he is into the final 18 months of his contract at Elland Road.

French side Stade Rennais have identified the 24-year-old stopper as a target recently, and bids should arguably be considered if they are made next month. The likes of Arsenal and Manchester United are keen on the 24-year-old, according to Alan Nixon's Patreon.

Fiorentina join the race for Leeds United stopper Illan Meslier

TEAMtalk are reporting Man United boss Ruben Amorim is happy with his goalkeepers as they are, with Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana currently being utilised by the latest head coach.

However, the same report states there is a new team in the mix alongside Rennes, with ACF Fiorentina now in the frame for the Frenchman.

The Italian giants currently compete in the Europa Conference League, while they have David De Gea and Pietro Terracciano fighting it out for for the first-choice role at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Meslier has been at Leeds since the summer of 2020 ahead of their first campaign in the Premier League after winning the 2019/20 Championship title, having initially arrived at Elland Road on loan from Lorient in the summer of 2019.

After he replaced Kiko Casilla between the sticks towards the end of that season, Leeds made the deal permanent following their promotion to the Premier League for a reported fee of around £5 million.

Aside from when he was dropped by Sam Allardyce for the final four games of the 2022/23 campaign in the top-flight, Meslier has remained the club's number one goalkeeper ever since, but in truth, he has struggled to fully convince Whites supporters in recent years.

Leeds United's Illan Meslier problem

There is no doubt that Meslier is one of the weaker links in the starting line-up and lacks consistency, which is something they may wish to address in January, although it would be contingent on Meslier's form continuing to be an issue for Leeds.

He once had undeniable potential, but his weaknesses as Leeds' first-choice goalkeeper are becoming hard to ignore. His biggest issue lies in his inconsistency with silly errors and also his command of the box.

Despite his 6'6" frame, Meslier often hesitates when dealing with crosses, failing to dominate the air and making set-pieces and high balls more dangerous for Leeds.

He still has time to improve and get back on track, but Leeds’ defensive stability demands a more reliable and commanding presence in goal, and Meslier hasn’t consistently provided that yet.

Meslier has to be of concern for the club behind the scenes, in both the long-term as No.1 and short-term, regarding their promotion ambition and whether his position is tenable.

You feel that Meslier is probably the weak link in Leeds' team, and if they sold him for a considerable fee they could definitely upgrade on him, be that from Arsenal, Rennes, or Fiorentina.