Chelsea are eyeing a swoop for Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier as Graham Potter aims to strengthen his squad.

What’s the news?

That’s according to Simon Phillips who claims that Chelsea are keeping tabs on the Leeds 'keeper as Potter aims to bring in his own goalkeeper.

Meslier is currently valued at €40m (£34m) and Leeds will surely expect this sort of fee should Jesse Marsch want to sell him.

Potter doesn’t seem to be 100% convinced about either Edouard Mendy or Kepa Arrizabalaga and a new number one could be the main priority during the January transfer window.

Potter can ditch Kepa

Meslier has kept just two clean sheets this season, however, at just 22 years of age, he is one of the Premier League’s youngest keepers and starring at the highest level shows extreme levels of maturity.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has described him as a “rare talent” and he will surely be on the move from Leeds sooner rather than later with his potential.

Last season, the Frenchman made 142 saves, the most out of any stopper in the top flight, yet his save percentage was just 66.4% ranking him in the bottom three. If he moved to Chelsea however, a better defence would likely mean he faces fewer shots over the course of a season.

Kepa has been at the club since a £71m move in 2018, but Thomas Tuchel favoured Mendy during his tenure in charge.

The Spaniard has been limited to just 40 appearances since the start of 2020/2021, keeping clean sheets in nearly half of his matches (19) during this time period.

Journalist Nizaar Kinsella has dubbed Kepa as “special” this season while he begins to repay the massive outlay Chelsea spent on him four years ago.

Potter looks like he might be in favour of youth when looking at a new long-term number one, with Meslier six and eight years younger than Kepa and Mendy respectively.

The World Cup break will give the 47-year-old some time to think about the direction he wants to go in, however, he might have to break the bank in order to bring the Leeds 'keeper to Stamford Bridge, something that may well grant them the license to ditch Kepa or Mendy.