Boost for Chelsea as Leeds star has his ‘head turned’ by Blues interest, with Tottenham also in race

Leeds United will face a battle to retain the services of Illan Meslier this summer, amid claims the player’s head has been turned by interest from Chelsea.

The Whites once again find themselves in the midst of another relegation battle. Currently in 16th place in the Premier League table, they are only two points away from the drop zone.

Leeds managed to avoid a return to the Championship last term with a dramatic final-day escape at Brentford, but ideally, Javi Gracia’s side will want to avoid that kind of stress again.

This time, though there are still as many as nine different teams involved in the battle for safety – one of the

One of Leeds’ key issues this term has been their instability in defence, after conceding the second-most goals in the division (54).

This is despite another solid campaign from Meslier, who has made an average of 2.8 saves per match.

However, according to a report from Football Insider, Leeds could be set to lose the 23-year-old this summer.

They claim that Meslier is ‘keen’ to take his career to ‘the next level’ and would be willing to join Chelsea in the coming months.

The Frenchman was an initial loan signing from FC Lorient back in 2019, making the permanent switch for £5m the following summer.

Since, he has been a stalwart between the sticks for Leeds and recently became the youngest goalkeeper to reach 100 Premier League appearances in the competition’s history.

Thanks to his fine performances, Meslier has earned the admiration of Chelsea, Tottenham and Barcelona, with a summer departure looking increasingly likely.

The Blues are looking for someone to back up Kepa Arrizabalaga next season, with Edouard Mendy’s departure from Stamford Bridge all-but confirmed.

Now, they have reportedly made Meslier their top choice, with Leeds slapping a £40m price tag on the shot-stopper.

Hugo Lloris, who has been a key player for Spurs for the last 10 years, will leave the club at the end of the season, so Meslier could potentially be brought in to replace him.

Meslier’s current deal at Leeds is set to expire in 2026, having signed an extension last season.

But, as noted by TEAMtalk, he recently went public about his desire to play at a higher level.

“It would be a mistake to project oneself so far. There are many steps before that: a continuation to be sought with Leeds, the Euro Espoirs [U21 championship] in June.

“To succeed in all of this, I have to be good. Because no one will come looking for me if I am not. And if I am asked, I will take the time to think about my future with a clear head.”