Man United join Arsenal in keeping tabs on Leeds United player ahead of January | OneFootball

Manchester United are reportedly interested in a shock move for Leeds United's Illan Meslier

Manchester United have joined Arsenal in the race for Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier ahead of a shock potential January departure from Elland Road.

That's according to a recent reveal from The Sun's Alan Nixon, who has claimed via his exclusive Patreon service that the Red Devils are keen on Meslier.

It would be a surprise to see Meslier leave the Whites for the Premier League in January, let alone to a club which will still fancy its chances of qualifying for European football next term.

The 24-year-old has been Leeds' first-choice ever since the 2020/21 campaign, their first back in the top-flight for nearly 20 years, although he's come under fire this season.

Meslier has made a number of high-profile errors for Leeds, most notably against Sunderland and then in the 1-1 draw away to Preston North End last weekend.

Supporters have voiced their thoughts about Meslier on a number of occasions this term, but he still retains the trust of Daniel Farke and is shaping up to be an attractive proposition for some top Premier League sides.

Manchester United's interest in Leeds United's Illan Meslier

As per Nixon's report, United are devising a shortlist of goalkeeping targets to come in and offer increased competition from current number-one Andre Onana, who has divided opinion since his switch to Old Trafford from Inter Milan in July 2023.

It's said that the club's goalkeeping scout Tony Coton strongly fancies Meslier, who was reportedly of interest to United a couple of seasons ago while Leeds were still in the Premier League.

But according to Nixon, Coton has retained his admiration of Meslier, having been a regular at the Frenchman's matches for Leeds.

United are not short of options between the sticks, with Altay Bayindir and experienced shot-stopper Tom Heaton currently behind Onana in Ruben Amorim's pecking order.

However, Bayindir's shaky display in Thursday evening's 4-3 EFL Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur could prompt Amorim into action as he looks to ensure a steady pair of hands behind, or even to challenge Onana.

Manchester United have joined Arsenal in transfer race for Leeds United's Illan Meslier

While United's interest does come as a surprise, Meslier seemingly has other top-flight suitors too.

One of those appears to be Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta also keen to source a long-term number-two with current David Raya understudy, Neto, only on a season-long loan from Bournemouth.

In contrast to the Red Devils, Arsenal are currently performing well and find themselves just three points shy of league leaders Liverpool - who do have two games in hand - following Saturday afternoon's emphatic 5-1 victory away at Crystal Palace.

Arsenal's interest was recently brought to light by journalist Steve Kay, who spoke on YouTube channel KS1 TV to reveal that a goalkeeper could be poised to arrive at the Emirates Stadium after being quizzed on Arteta's January plans.

Kay said: "There’s a few. Arsenal are looking at a goalkeeper. Possibly a goalkeeper could come in in January. I have been given a name.

"The Leeds goalkeeper is someone I’ve been told. I need to look into that. It’s not from one of my top sources if you like, but it’s one we’re keeping an eye on. Illan Meslier."

Meslier is also reportedly of interest to French side Rennes, but one has to wonder if the lure of moving to one of the Premier League's heavyweights could tempt him.

Either way, it'll certainly be interesting to see how this one plays out in the coming weeks. Leeds fans would never typically want to lose a player to their fierce rivals, of course, but Meslier isn't a popular figure among supporters at the minute and they could welcome a move to United for that reason.

That said, the club's stance is not yet clear although Farke is clearly a fan of Meslier's. If the Whites are open to a January sale, it could prompt something of a bidding war between the two clubs, should they decide to act upon early interest and take it further.