Summary Illan Meslier's poor performance last season has significantly decreased his market value, with one fan estimating it at only £8m. Leeds United may need to find a replacement for Meslier, and negotiations with Newcastle United over Karl Darlow have already begun. Meslier's stats from last season paint a grim picture of his abilities as a top-flight shot-stopper, with poor numbers in clean sheet percentage, goals against, and save percentage.
Leeds United's Illan Meslier would be worth just "£8m" after his disastrous season last year, "especially after he was dropped towards the back end of it", claims One Leeds Fan Channel host Conor McGilligan.
Is Illan Meslier leaving Leeds this summer?
It feels like the start of a new era at Leeds this summer, albeit a very rocky start.
Daniel Farke has been appointed as the new manager, the 49ers group have finally taken control of the club, and, most significantly, the team find themselves back in the Championship after three seasons of Premier League football.
All of this change at the club has been accompanied by an exodus of first-team players, eight to be exact, and that could soon be more, as the Daily Mail have reported that the club are 'expecting offers for Illan Meslier.'
This expectation has forced the Peacocks into negotiating with Newcastle United over their 32-year-old keeper Karl Darlow as a potential replacement for the 23-year-old.
However, after a poor season between the sticks for the Whites – one that saw him dropped for the side's final four games – fans such as McGilligan have been left wondering if they'll be able to get much for him at all.
He explained his opinion on the One Leeds Fan Channel YouTube channel, saying:
"I don't think we'll sell Meslier, to be honest with you. Someone was asking me the valuation on Meslier, and I think you'd probably get £8m for him potentially this window. You know if I'm being completely realistic.
"I don't think teams are going to go to £15m or £20m for Meslier at all, especially after the season he had, especially after he was dropped towards the back end of it.
"Proper clubs would analyse Meslier's last 18 months and say 'Look, he needs a lot of work and people need keepers for the here and now. Premier League keepers need to be ready at his age."
How good is Illan Meslier?
It was an abysmal year for £30k-per-week Meslier last season, and while most of the squad struggled for some reason or another, the young Frenchman seemed to struggle that little bit more.
According to WhoScored, the 23-year-old averaged a match rating of just 6.42 across his 34 Premier League games, the third worst rating in the whole squad for a player that had played at least 1500 minutes.
His underlying numbers, while highlighting his strength as a sweeper keeper, are incredibly poor for someone who is supposed to be a top-flight shot-stopper.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, his best attributes are that he sits in the top 7% for defensive actions outside the penalty area, the top 13% for the percentage of crosses stopped, and the top 33% for the average distance of defensive actions from his penalty area, all per 90.
On the other hand, he sits in the bottom 20% for touches, the bottom 15% for clean sheet percentage, the bottom 7% for goals against, and worst of all, the bottom 2% for save percentage, all per 90.
Journalists seemingly tired of his performances towards the backend of last year, with Graham Smyth criticising the former Lorient man after a mistake cost the team against Bournemouth, calling it a "complete and utter disaster."
While there have been flashes of brilliance in Meslier's four years with the side, it might be best for all involved if he is moved on this summer.
