Marseille 'stance' on Illan Meslier as Robbie Fowler offers 'brutal' verdict on £40m Leeds United sale

Leeds United flew out to Germany earlier this weekend as pre-season preparations intensify, with less than three weeks to go until Portsmouth visit Elland Road for the start of the 2024/25 season. Daniel Farke’s side beat Harrogate Town 3-0 on Friday evening and can now look forward to meetings with two German sides over the next week or so before Valencia head to Elland Road for the final warm-up game.

On Saturday, Leeds confirmed the arrival of Jayden Bogle as the right-back became summer arrival number four, while news of Max Wober’s decision to stay means a number of fresh faces will be involved in Germany. There is still plenty going on closer to home as well, with those in charge at Elland Road working to bring in more players ahead of another long promotion push. In the meantime, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.

Meslier latest

Recent reports from France suggested Marseille could make a move for Illan Meslier this summer but that has now been ruled out. L’Equipe reports that Marseille have internally written off a move for the Leeds goalkeeper, deeming him ‘too expensive and too hesitant’, and will now turn focus elsewhere.

Meslier’s name surfaced in reports surrounding Marseille’s search for a new goalkeeper earlier this month, but speculation over the 24-year-old’s future was only intensifying across the Channel and there was never any suggestion he would leave Elland Road from closer to home. Leeds were not aware of interest in their shot-stopper and have no intention of selling him.

That firm stance looks to have put Marseille off before they’d even got the ball rolling, with Roberto De Zerbi’s side said to be looking elsewhere in their search for a new goalkeeper. Meslier featured during Friday’s 3-0 win at Harrogate Town and flew out with the squad to Germany. He is expected to remain first-choice at Leeds for the 2024/25 season.

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Fowler on Gray

Former Leeds striker Robbie Fowler insists the loss of Archie Gray to Tottenham is the ‘brutal reality’ of failing to achieve promotion last season. Farke’s side suffered play-off final heartbreak at Wembley in May and, as a result, were left somewhat vulnerable when it came to top-flight interest in their most promising players.

Despite much of the early-summer speculation being around Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto, it was Gray who attracted concrete bids with the 18-year-old eventually joining Tottenham in a deal worth £40million. The club are now better-placed to fend off interest in their other players but Fowler believes key exits will continue for as long as the club are outside the Premier League.

“Sadly, for fans at Elland Road, that’s just the brutal reality of not being in the Premier League,” Fowler wrote in his Sunday Mirror column of Gray’s exit. “If they’d gone back up I’m certain Gray may have stayed. The Gray family will probably have mixed emotions, too. Especially Leeds legend Eddie. But until Leeds are an established Premier League club again, losing players like Archie is the price you pay.”