Leeds keeper Meslier: Lorient had agreed to sell me to Chelsea | OneFootball

Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier has explained turning down Chelsea as a youth teamer.

Meslier, then 18, had just signed his first professional contract at French side Lorient when the Blues made an approach in July 2018.

"Chelsea agreed with Lorient and then asked me, 'Are you ready?'," Meslier told The Athletic. "But it was 24 hours before the end of the window.

"I said, 'No, it's too late, man! If you'd come one or two weeks earlier then I might have said yes. I can't sign for you so late'.

"It was a difficult decision. Chelsea are a big club. You would ask me, 'Why not [go]?'. But there are lots of keepers in Chelsea's academy.

"It's very hard to grow up there and sometimes you sign and you have to go on loan, things like that. It's better, I think, to work in your club and then sign to be a No 1 at 24, 25. Not at 18 years old."