Best Premier League Signings of 20/21 – West Ham man will surprise you

Illan Meslier – Leeds United

A player who was my must-buy in the past 2 Football Manager games (trust me, he’s THAT good) is another entry onto this list. Alphonse Areola, Mike Maignan, Paul Bernardon, Alban Lafont.

All these names are starter quality goalkeepers in almost any other nation and Illan Meslier might be the one to leapfrog them all after Hugo Lloris’ reign is over.

For a mere £6 million, Leeds have found a hidden gem hailing from FC Lorient and he has world-class potential written all over him. A few world-class saves have placed loads of attention on him this season and rightly so.

No goalkeeper has made more saves (121) and saves from inside the box (74) than Illan Meslier in the Premier League this season. He also ranks 2nd for saves from outside of the box with 1.5 per 90.

Topping these categories at that young age speaks volumes to the level of quality the young Frenchman plays with. The 21-year-old has cat-like reflexes while displaying eerie similarities to David De Gea, a goalkeeper among the very top of his position.

His baby face is what people first see but don’t let initial first impressions fool you. Seeing him play feels like you’re watching someone over a decade his senior. Bielsa’s blessing has him playing out of this world and it’s only a matter of time before the European heavyweights come knocking.