Leeds United produced plenty of villains from last campaign’s relegation disaster, with the vast majority of the squad failing to show up when it mattered.
Defensively fragile and not nearly clinical enough to make up for those frailties, three managers tried their hand at saving the Whites, and none succeeded. The Championship beckoned and thus ushered in a new era at Elland Road.
With Daniel Farke selected as the man to lead them into a hopefully much brighter future, he endured one of the most tumultuous summers in the club's history as he negotiated for the failures of the previous ownership and came out the other side largely unscathed.
However, there were perhaps a few key moves that he could have made, which the German may well live to regret as he seeks to turn their faltering league form into a consistent stream of wins they will feel they have deserved.
Who was Leeds United’s worst performer last season?
Whilst it is a tough choice to pinpoint a sole worst performer for last season’s debacle, Illan Meslier must certainly rank highly on that list given how unreliable he became as the term went on.
It seemed like as the games became more important, his confidence grew weaker. It was therefore no surprise to see he featured 34 times in the league for a side that conceded 78 goals, by far the most in the division.
Having enjoyed a busy tenure in between the sticks for the Yorkshire outfit, regularly forced into making multiple saves to uphold Marcelo Bielsa’s gung-ho philosophy, last term proved to be his undoing as Jesse Marsch’s system could not bear fruit.
It is worth noting that in Meslier’s first season in the Premier League, he averaged four saves per game, yet still kept 11 clean sheets and managed a 7.13 average rating, via Sofascore.
Last season, for context, that initial figure dropped to just two saves per game, keeping five clean sheets and seeing his average rating drop to 6.65. This actually made him the eighth-worst performer within his squad of those who started over five games, although the importance of his position meant his shortcomings became catastrophic.
As such he made three key errors that led directly to goals, with journalist David Kent even writing in April: “Meslier a massive liability at this stage for Leeds.”
Given that there were reportedly suitors seeking to pry him at the start of the window, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all having needed new number ones, perhaps they missed a trick by not capitalising on the interest and cashing in on their shot-stopper as Karl Darlow arrived.
How much was Illan Meslier worth at FC Lorient?
Before moving to Yorkshire, Meslier had emerged through the academy of FC Lorient, where he had been since the age of nine.
The 6 foot 7 titan would play just 30 senior games before a loan switch to Leeds, where he endeared himself to the fanbase with his unique ball-playing skillset that helped them win promotion.
However, he was a relative unknown before his move to England, with Transfermarkt suggesting that he was valued at just €5m (£4m) in May 2019, having shot up from the €600k (£512k) they cited four months earlier.
How much did Leeds sign Illan Meslier for?
With his valuation as such, to have snagged the young France U21 international in 2020 for £5m marked a fine coup for Bielsa, who intended to tackle the Premier League with his youth as an immense show of faith.
Despite the recent struggles that even saw him dropped at the back end of last season, he has remained an impressive figure for the club, having amassed 131 appearances across numerous campaigns now.
The hope will be that he can recapture his form of old given he failed to secure his departure, and help engineer a return to the top flight.
What is Illan Meslier’s market value now?
Exposure to such a high level has unsurprisingly skyrocketed Meslier's value, especially given how cheap they managed to sign him for in the first place.
CIES Football Observatory helps to outline just how far he has come from the teenager who first moved to Elland Road, as they cite his current expected transfer value at a lofty €30m (£26m).
That suggests that across his four years at the club, Meslier has seen a significant increase in how much he is worth; 420% to be exact.
Why is Illan Meslier worth so much?
Whilst his recent form might draw scrutiny, at one point the shot-stopper was one of the most celebrated young 'keepers in the Premier League.
That first year following their 2020 promotion he thrived as part of a team that defied the odds, with his exploits integral.
As aforementioned, he was called upon with regularity, but he more than rose to the challenge despite his youth. Not only that, but he paired a stellar 73% save success rate with a 77% pass accuracy too, via Sofascore.
In fact, even now when compared to others in his position across the eight leagues similar to the Championship, he sits in the top 3% for touches per 90 and the top 2% for defensive actions outside the penalty area per 90, as per FBref.
He is the quintessential modern-day goalkeeper, despite his flaws, and when his shot-stopping is on form he can be both impossible to beat as well as superb when sweeping up behind a backline so often forced forward in the past by Bielsa’s all-action play style.
Former Manchester City full-back Micah Richards even sought to praise him back in 2021: “Leeds in this game played so well. Meslier was excellent. They face all these shots, the most in the Premier League and inevitably, you’re going to concede goals playing like that.”
There is a key reason why his value remains so high, and should he get his career back on track, it could be a figure set to increase further.
What is Illan Meslier's salary?
Despite the mass exodus overseen this summer, the Frenchman still retains one of the more reasonable salaries that Victor Orta negotiated during his ill-fated tenure with Leeds.
Meslier's £30k-per-week wage represents fine value given his youth and the fact that he still has three years left on his contract, with that figure making him the seventh-highest-paid player at the club.
The hope will be that he can recapture his form in the Championship once again to start justifying his salary and valuation growth. If not, they will rue their call not to cash in this summer.