Arsenal have completed the signing of goalkeeper Illan Meslier following his departure from Leeds United, adding the Frenchman to Mikel Arteta’s goalkeeping options ahead of the new season.
Meslier first arrived in English football on loan from Lorient before Leeds made the deal permanent. He made 215 appearances for the club but lost his place towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign and did not feature last season.
The 26-year-old expressed his delight after completing the move to the Premier League champions.
“I’m extremely happy.”
“It’s a great day for me because I have just joined the champions. For me, Arsenal is the biggest club in England.”
“I’m very happy and very proud to join Arsenal. I cannot wait to show the love that I’ve got for this badge, and I cannot wait to win trophies with this team, because this is a club that needs to lift trophies again and again.”
Meslier is expected to provide goalkeeping cover behind first-choice David Raya and Kepa Arrizabalaga, who currently serves as Arsenal’s second-choice goalkeeper.
The move gives Meslier the chance to restart his career after a difficult end to his time at Leeds, while Arsenal add another experienced Premier League goalkeeper to their squad.
