TRANSFER NEWS
ARSENAL ANNOUNCE SIGNING OF LEEDS GOALKEEPER ILLAN MESLIER ON A FREE TRANSFER.
The club have announced their first summer signing as Meslier from Leeds United on a free transfer.
09/7/26
Published By:
AFCFLAIR
The Premier League Champions have made it official that Illan Meslier has signed for the club on a free transfer from Leeds United.
In a club statement the club confirmed "26-year-old Illan joins us following seven seasons with Leeds United, during which time he made 215 appearances in all competitions, keeping 70 clean sheets.
llan began his career in his hometown with French side FC Lorient, progressing through the club’s academy before signing his first professional contract in February 2018. The commanding goalkeeper made his senior debut later that year, keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 Coupe de la Ligue victory over Valenciennes FC at just 18 years of age.
After an impressive breakthrough campaign, making 28 appearances in France’s second tier during the 2018/19 season, Illan joined then-Championship side Leeds United on a season-long loan in August 2019. He made his Leeds debut at Emirates Stadium in an FA Cup third-round tie in January 2020.
Following Leeds’ promotion to the Premier League at the conclusion of his first season in English football, Illan’s move was made permanent. Since then, he has made 107 top-flight appearances, and arrives with proven experience and quality, further strengthening our goalkeeping options ahead of the new season."
After putting pen to paper, Illan said: "I’m extremely happy. It's a great day for me because I have just joined the champions. For me, Arsenal is the biggest club in England.
“I'm very happy and very proud to join Arsenal. I cannot wait to show the love that I've got for this badge, and I cannot wait to win trophies with this team, becuase this is a club that needs to lift trophies again and again."
Standing at a commanding 6'6" tall, the 26-year-old French shot-stopper brings extensive English football experience to North London, having amassed 215 senior appearances across a seven-year spell at Elland Road. Known for his highly proactive style, sharp reflexes, and comfort playing out from the back with his feet, Meslier provides Mikel Arteta with an incredibly dynamic, agile, and Premier League-proven asset to fortify the club's goalkeeping department.
The reaction across the Arsenal fanbase has been highly mixed, dividing supporters into two distinct camps. A large portion of the Emirates faithful have praised the deal as a shrewd, risk-free piece of business, expressing immense satisfaction at securing a talented, relatively young international-level goalkeeper for zero transfer fee. On the other hand, some fans remain sceptical and view the signing with caution, questioning whether Meslier can recapture his peak form after losing his starting spot at Leeds, while others fear he represents a tactical step down in backup quality compared to Kepa Arrizabalaga.