Leeds United have several important decisions to make in the coming weeks, but one major call regarding a departure has already been settled.
The Whites’ supporters are eagerly anticipating the summer transfer window after the club successfully secured Premier League survival and finished 14th in their first season back in the top flight.
Daniel Farke is keen to strengthen and refresh his squad ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, with Leeds targeting players capable of making a genuine impact and elevating the team’s overall quality.
However, chairman Paraag Marathe has already confirmed that departures will form part of the club’s summer plans, and one long-serving player is now set to move on in search of a fresh start elsewhere.
Leeds United set to confirm Illan Meslier departure
Illan Meslier did not feature for a single minute during Leeds’ 2025/26 campaign and found himself as low as third or fourth choice goalkeeper following the arrival of Lucas Perri.
The club were willing to listen to offers for the Frenchman, but no interested side matched Leeds’ valuation, meaning he remained at Elland Road for the season.
Meslier leaves behind an impressive legacy. He still holds Leeds United’s single-season clean sheet record and played a pivotal role in promotion-winning campaigns under both Marcelo Bielsa and Daniel Farke.
He was also one of Leeds’ standout performers during their first Premier League season under Bielsa, quickly establishing himself as a key figure between the posts.
Despite showing enormous promise at a young age, Meslier never fully developed into the goalkeeper many believed he could become. His situation deteriorated further towards the end of the previous season when a difficult run of form saw him lose his place in the starting lineup, a position he was unable to reclaim.
Leeds explored the possibility of selling him during each of the last two transfer windows, but a move failed to materialise. As a result, he will leave the club on a free transfer this summer, bringing an end to a significant seven-year spell at Elland Road.
While his final years at the club were challenging, his contribution to Leeds’ recent successes should not be overlooked.
Farke had ultimately made his decision on the goalkeeper, and Meslier never came close to making a first-team appearance throughout the 2025/26 season.
At the conclusion of the campaign, the Frenchman was spotted standing alone on the Elland Road pitch, taking in the moment and seemingly bidding farewell to the stadium he had called home for seven years.
