TBR View: Landing Meslier for just £5m would be one of Orta’s best Leeds deals

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Leeds United are reportedly set to complete the permanent signing of Illan Meslier from French side Lorient for a bargain £5million – and nabbing the goalkeeper’s signature will surely be one of Victor Orta’s best ever deals as Leeds director of football.

The Mirror have claimed that Leeds are set to activate the clause. Meslier, 20, has started the last two Leeds games with Kiko Casilla receiving an eight-game ban for racially abusing Charlton striker Jonathan Leko.

In those matches, the France Under-20 star has kept two clean sheets in wins over Hull City and Huddersfield Town. He has only featured three times for Leeds at senior level, but it is now clear that the Whites want to tie him down, beyond the summer.

But his performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup, some stunning displays for the Under-23 side in which he saved numerous penalties, and now two clean sheets in two games – makes £5million excellent value for money.

Sporting director Orta has been known for a few transfer blunders from foreign clubs. Pawel Cibicki, Jay-Roy Grot, Ouasim Bouy, Yosuke Ideguchi are just a few names that have turned out to be complete flops.

Even signing more renowned Championship players have gone wrong. Vurnon Anita struggled after joining from Newcastle, as did Eunan O’Kane from Bournemouth. Many feel a big-money move for Patrick Bamford has gone wrong.

But if Leeds do complete the £5million move to sign Meslier, it will be one of Orta’s best ever transfers. That is because the goalkeeper is cheap, young, boasting resale value but most importantly – the perfect goalkeeper for Marcelo Bielsa’s style of play.

Landing Meslier on a permanent basis will be one of Orta’s best ever deals.