Tottenham Hotspur are thinking about a deal to convey Illan Meslier to north London.
What’s the speak?
That’s in line with a report by The Athletic, during which Phil Hay revealed that Spurs are as as anybody within the 22-year-old Leeds United goalkeeper, with Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte believed to view the 22-year-old as Hugo Lloris’ long-term successor between the Tottenham sticks.
The identical journalist additionally touched on Spurs’ curiosity within the France U21 worldwide on a latest episode of The Phil Hay Present, during which the titular reporter stated: “It’s fairly attention-grabbing that Spurs are one of many golf equipment taking a look at him as Lloris is moving into his mid-30s now and he’s out of contract in 2024.
“You’d assume that Tottenham would now be taking a look at a succession plan for him. Fairly eventful time for Meslier however this season he has regarded higher than he ever has and has been a top-class goalkeeper.”
Dream Lloris inheritor
As Hay suggests, with Lloris turning 36 years of age later this 12 months, and the France captain’s present contract in north London set to run out on the finish of the 2023/24 marketing campaign, it might certainly seem sensible for Paratici to start out placing a succession plan in place for the veteran shot-stopper.
And, contemplating simply how spectacular Meslier has been following his everlasting transfer to Elland Street again in the summertime of 2020, the teen would very a lot look to be one thing of a dream inheritor for his fellow countryman between the Tottenham sticks.
Certainly, the £45m-rated goalkeeper was in outstanding kind over his 35 Premier League appearances again in 2021/22, protecting 11 clear sheets and making a median of 4.0 saves per recreation – the joint fifth-most and the second-most within the prime flight respectively that season.
These returns noticed the starlet – who Fabrizio Romano claimed is “untouchable” at Leeds – common an astonishing SofaScore match score of 7.13, not solely rating him as Leeds’ third-best performer within the league but in addition because the joint Thirty third-best participant within the division as an entire that 12 months.
And, regardless of a barely below-par exhibiting final season – one thing largely right down to the Whites’ extraordinarily disappointing marketing campaign – the £22k-per-week expertise has as soon as once more proven his high quality over his six Premier League fixtures to this point this season, protecting one clear sheet and making a median of two.8 saves per recreation – at a hit fee of 68%.
As such, whereas the day that the £100k-per-week Lloris waves his closing goodbye to Tottenham will undoubtedly be an especially unhappy one, ought to Paratici handle to convey Meslier in because the 35-year-old’s successor, it might very a lot look as if the Italian director of soccer can have landed the Frenchman’s dream inheritor – one thing that would definitely soften the blow for all concerned with Spurs.
