Leeds United star appears on five-man Barcelona shortlist to replace stalwart

Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier is reportedly on Barcelona’s five-man shortlist to replace Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Meslier is a product of Lorient’s academy. He made his debut for the French club in August 2018 after rejecting transfer proposals from Chelsea and Monaco earlier that year. The Frenchman began to put in some impressive performances to attract attention from Leeds.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side took him on loan for the 2019-20 campaign and his arrival was made permanent at the end of the season. The fee was kept undisclosed by Leeds, although it is thought to be in the region of £5million.

21-year-old Meslier has been a top performer for Leeds in the Premier League, despite his tender age. He kept 11 clean sheets in 35 matches last term as the Whites broke into the top 10.

Meslier’s goal has been breached more regularly this term amid a string of injury woes across the starting eleven. But the player’s stock remains high and he could be the subject of a Barcelona bid in the summer.

According to Goal, who cite Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Meslier is a target for the La Liga giants as they look to find a long-term replacement for ter Stegen.

The German is 29, which is relatively young in goalkeeping terms. Nevertheless, Barca believe they can bring Meslier to the Nou Camp and that he would be a solid addition to the squad.

Leeds will look to keep Illan Meslier

Leeds remain determined to keep hold of their most important players, such as Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips, with Meslier also falling into that bracket. As such, it would take a monumental bid from Xavi’s side to tempt the Yorkshire outfit into a sale.

Meslier’s contract at Elland Road runs until 2026, meaning they will not have to sell anytime soon.

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The original report puts four alternatives on the table for Barca. They are apparently keeping tabs on Meslier’s compatriot Alban Lafont, who captains Ligue 1 side Nantes.

The other options are Fiorentina’s Bartlomiej Dragowski, Maarten Vandevoordt of Genk and Morocco international Bono, who represents Sevilla.

Bielsa provides Leeds injury update

Leeds travel to Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon to play Frank Lampard’s Everton.

Ahead of the match, Bielsa was asked about England midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The 26-year-old has been out since December with a hamstring injury.

“He is expected to return in the first few days of March and his recovery has been going as predicted,” the manager told a press conference.

On the wider team selection, Bielsa added: “Phillips, [Liam] Cooper, [Junior] Firpo and [Patrick] Bamford, like in the game against Aston Villa, won’t be considered for the game against Everton.”

When asked about left-back Firpo in particular, the Argentine continued: “He’s healthy but we’re not going to anticipate his return [tomorrow]. He’s going to return next week.”

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