Arsenal have agreed to sign Illan Meslier on a free transfer following his exit from Leeds United.
The 26-year-old Frenchman made 215 appearances across seven seasons.
Meslier had been Leeds’ undisputed number one for five consecutive seasons before a drop in form during 2024-25 led to Daniel Farke dropping him from the side.
He spent his final season as third choice behind Karl Darlow and Lucas Perri.
According to The Athletic, Arsenal spotted a market opportunity to bring in a Premier League-experienced goalkeeper who was available for nothing.
Will Kepa Arrizabalaga play another game for Arsenal?
At first glance, the signing looks a bizarre one.
Where will Illan Meslier fit in Arsenal’s goalkeeping pecking order?
Kepa Arrizabalaga has been linked with a move away from north London after just one season, but the fact that he is still at the club indicates Meslier will be coming in as third choice.
That would ease the concern Arsenal fans might have, given their poor track record of signing backup goalkeepers under Mikel Arteta.
Runar Alex Runarsson, Matt Turner, Mat Ryan, Neto, and Kepa have all cycled through as second-choice options with varying degrees of success.
The club missed out on a genuinely high-quality option in Joan Garcia last summer before signing Kepa for £5million.
Meslier arriving on a free continues the club’s pattern of low-cost solutions rather than serious competition for David Raya.
What happens to Tommy Setford after Illan Meslier signing
Perhaps the more interesting consequence of the Meslier signing is what it means for Tommy Setford.
The 20-year-old England under-21 international has made two senior appearances for Arsenal — against Preston in the Carabao Cup and Wigan in the FA Cup — keeping a clean sheet in both.
He has shown enough quality and potential to suggest he has a future in the game.
With Meslier now joining, and Kepa still there, Setford is essentially fourth choice, blocking any path to first-team minutes at the Emirates.
The expectation is that he will now leave on loan to gain regular senior football, which, given his age and development needs, is probably the right outcome regardless.
It’s unlikely Meslier is coming in as Raya’s deputy. Arsenal are just covering their bases, and Setford gets the game time he needs elsewhere.
Nobody should be losing sleep over this one.
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