Illan Meslier, born on March 2, 2000 in France, is currently the man between the sticks for Leeds United. Awkwardly towering at 1.96m (6ft 5in), and with a weight of 74kg (11st 9lb), he commands his 18-yard box with a noticeable presence. As of the present moment, his market value is valued at approximately £10m, an estimation as per Transfermarkt.
His journey in professional football began in July 2010 when he joined Lorient in Ligue 1, France. During the 2018-2019 season, Meslier made his breakthrough as he graced the pitch for 28 matches in the highly rated French league.
In August 2019, the French goalkeeper crossed the channel as he was loaned out to Leeds United, a club in the Premier League, the apex of English football. By 2025, he had sealed his place in the first team, with an impressive tally of fixtures under his belt. His record at Leeds before the 2025-2026 season was admirable, to say the least - 10 in 2019-2020, 35 in 2020-2021, 38 in 2021-2022, 34 in 2022-2023, 44 in 2023-2024 and 39 in the 2024-2025 season, respectively. However, in the current 2025-2026 season, his pitch-time has been non-existent by date.
Initially arriving at Leeds on loan, Meslier converted his temporary stay into a permanent one in July 2020. The transfer fee that saw him shift his allegiance from Lorient to the English side was settled at around £5.9m. Since then, he has been a stalwart at Leeds, continuing to keep guard of their goal, with restrictions in appearances in the ongoing 2025-2026 season yet to be resolved.
