Leeds United’s Illan Meslier is widely regarded as one of the best young goalkeepers in the Premier League.

The Frenchman has been lauded for his ability on the ball and shot-stopping skills, with pundits, players and fans alike all pointing towards his excellent potential long-term potential as a reason to stick by him when he makes mistakes.

Jesse Marsch said: “First of all I think Illan’s talent is massive. He is a young goalkeeper that is as good as any young goalkeeper I have ever seen. That’s really exciting.”

At 23, the ‘keeper became the youngest player in top-flight history to reach 100 appearances, yet it could be argued that Leeds fans are still seeing the same skinny, baby-faced player who first came into the side during the Championship title-winning season.

With the Yorkshire side now officially boasting the worst defensive record in the division after shipping 11 goals in the recent home defeats against Crystal Palace and Liverpool, questions must now surely be asked of Meslier.

Has Meslier progressed or regressed in his time at Leeds?

Meslier would make his first Leeds appearances in the 2019/20 campaign, featuring ten times in the second tier for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, keeping an impressive seven clean sheets and conceding just four times in that run, so it was easy to see why the Argentine manager was happy to make him his number one following promotion.

This helped him earn a superb 6.95 rating from WhoScored and he followed that up with an inspired debut season in the top flight, earning a 6.91 average rating across his 35 outings, keeping 11 clean sheets and conceding 52 goals.

Leeds were often criticised for being too open defensively under Bielsa but Meslier’s record has only got worse since the legendary manager’s departure, with the Frenchman remarkably conceding 138 times across the last two Premier League seasons.

The 60 shipped by the goalkeeper so far this campaign could easily surpass the 78 he conceded in the 2021/22 season, especially if Javi Gracia’s side continues their woeful recent form.

Unsurprisingly, so many goals conceded and so few clean sheets, with just ten in his last 69 top-flight appearances, have meant that Meslier’s average rating from WhoScored has fallen off a cliff in the last two seasons.

The Frenchman’s shocking 6.49 rating so far this term ranks him as the 17th-best performer in Gracia’s squad, and yet it has never really been suggested that he could be dropped, perhaps due to the lack of options available to the Spaniard at Elland Road.

Leeds have Joel Robles and youngster Kristoffer Klaesson waiting in the wings, but the former has just two appearances in cup competitions to his name so far this season, which suggests that Meslier is always going to be the first choice.

The lack of depth available to Gracia in between the sticks could prove costly, as Meslier perhaps knows that he is guaranteed to start and has seen his standards drop as a result.

Should Meslier be dropped by Leeds?

Worryingly, Leeds have been expected to concede just 53.84 goals according to Understat this season, which suggests that Meslier is underperforming by 6.16 xG, the fourth-worst in the division behind Leicester City, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur.

A more reliable goalkeeper might have kept those six extra goals out, which could prove vital at the end of the season, as the competitiveness at the bottom of the league suggests that goal difference could easily be decisive.

Jamie Carragher didn’t hold back in his criticism of the shot-stopper following the heavy defeat against Liverpool recently, describing him as a “kid” with “no presence.”

Meslier could hardly be considered commanding in between the sticks and considering how shaky Leeds’ defence has looked in recent weeks, sticking with the youngster could prove disastrous for the club.

Relegation is thought to cost Premier League sides around £50m and Leeds would also undoubtedly lose some of their top talents should they sink back to the Championship this season.

Indeed, the former FC Lorient man has been one touted with an Elland Road exit, with top sides reportedly interested amid the possibility of relegation, with Leeds likely to demand around £40m.

Again, it seems as if interested sides are also gambling on Meslier’s potential, as his performances this season certainly wouldn’t justify that price tag.

If Garcia continues to put his faith in the £30k-per-week shot-stopper, then it could just cost Leeds their spot in the Premier League next season.