Arsenal have completed the signing of French goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer, with medicals done in London and a contract officially signed. The 26-year-old arrives after his deal with Leeds United expired, giving the Gunners a proven Premier League keeper without spending a penny in transfer fees.
What Arsenal is actually getting
Meslier is not an unknown quantity. He racked up 215 senior appearances for Leeds United across seven seasons after initially joining from French club Lorient in 2019. That’s a substantial body of work, almost entirely in the Premier League or in campaigns directly adjacent to it.
The expectation is that Meslier will slot in as Arsenal’s third-choice goalkeeper, sitting behind David Raya in the pecking order. The future of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has been on the books as a loan or secondary option, remains uncertain, which makes the timing of this signing particularly logical.
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