Illan Meslier’s agent has underlined his commitment to Leeds, claiming he would rather challenge for trophies with them than win league titles with one of Europe’s big clubs.
Meslier’s representative, Xavier Fleury, says the French Under-21 goalkeeper has attracted interest from big clubs because of his fine form since becoming Leeds’ No 1.
But Fleury says Meslier “loves” Leeds because they have given him the opportunity to play regularly in the Premier League.
“For sure there are some big clubs that are interested and following Illan, but right now he is in Leeds,” said Fleury.
“He is starting, and that is the bottom line, the most we can ask for. He loves the club, and he has settled in really well.
“I think if Leeds keep the sporting director, the coach, and the players keep improving year after year like they are doing, I think the president could be right and Leeds could be in the Champions League quickly.
“If Leeds are in the Champions League, I think it would be more beautiful for Illan to challenge for trophies at a club like Leeds as opposed to winning leagues at clubs like Real Madrid, Juventus or Bayern.
“Football is all about emotion. You can say ‘OK, I’ll play for Real Madrid, Bayern, or Juventus’, but it’s about achieving something that is unexpected, and to do that at Leeds with Bielsa would be amazing. There is no way to think about leaving.”
Meslier, who was 21 on Tuesday, initially joined Leeds on loan from Lorient before signing permanently for £5.8million last summer.
Fleury claimed Chelsea and Monaco wanted him, but says he chose Leeds because they offered him a quicker route to first-team football.
“We knew there was a lot of interest, but both Monaco and Chelsea wanted Illan for the future,” Fleury told the LUFCFANZONE podcast.
“Although the talks never reached a concrete stage, Chelsea wanted to buy Illan and send him on loan for a number of years. Because of this we thought it wasn’t a good idea because Illan needed to settle at a club and play. This would not have been the case.
“As a goalkeeper you need to be number one. If you’re not, then you can sit on the bench for years.”