Arsenal line up deal for potential Kepa replacement

Arsenal have made enquiries over Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, considering the player a potential replacement for Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer.

There’s little doubt over which goalkeeper will be first-choice for Arsenal next season, with David Raya likely to be pushing for his fourth consecutive Premier League Golden Glove award.

But there’s significantly more uncertainty behind Raya, with Ben Jacobs reporting that Kepa Arrizabalaga could leave Arsenal in search of a starting role, and that the goalkeeper is attracting interest from Serie A.

James McNicholas reported for The Athletic last month that Kepa’s deal with Arsenal includes a £5m release clause, so it’s very possible a team will activate it and the Gunners will be given no choice but to sell.

As a result, Arsenal need to have potential replacements lined up, and it seems Leeds United’s Illan Meslier is one of them.

Luca Bendoni and football insider Hand of Arsenal broke the news on Tuesday that Arsenal are keeping tabs on the goalkeeper and have made enquiries, and the story was later confirmed by Sami Mokbel of the BBC.

Mokbel reports that Arsenal have a strong interest in Meslier amid doubt about Kepa’s future. The 26-year-old goalkeeper would be available as a free agent, having come to the end of his contract with Leeds.

French goalkeeper Meslier made 215 appearances for Leeds and was a nailed-on starter for a long time, but he fell out of favour towards the end of 2024/25.

First, he dropped to the bench in April 2025. Then he dropped out of the squad completely for the majority of 2025/26. Leeds preferred Lucas Perri at the start of the season, then Karl Darlow won their starting spot for the second half of the campaign.

The second-choice spot at Arsenal would therefore represent a significant step up for Meslier from the third-choice spot at Leeds. If Kepa leaves, you’d think it would be a straightforward enough deal to do.

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