Signed for £5m, now worth 260% more, Leeds struck gold with "ridiculous" £2.1k-p/w gem - opinion

Following their promotion to the Premier League in summer 2020, Leeds United spent big money to ensure that they were equipped for the top flight, with the signings of Rodrigo (£26m) and Raphinha (£17m) standing out.

However, it is easy to forget that the permanent capture of current first-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier from Lorient, after spending the 2019/20 season on loan, cost the Whites just £5m.

The ‘keeper was a major contributor to Leeds’ promotion campaign and has since made 58 appearances in the Premier League, missing just three matches.

A full 17 months on from making his stay at Elland Road permanent, the 21-year-old is now worth £18m according to Transfermarkt, a 260% increase from when the deal was signed, already proving how good a decision it was from the Yorkshire outfit to keep the Frenchman.

Upon making his loan move permanent, Meslier was worth just under the fee reportedly paid by Leeds at £4.05m, having been worth slightly more at £4.5m prior to the outbreak of the global pandemic.

However, since Leeds’ promotion, the goalkeeper’s value has continued to appreciate in value, with the Frenchman worth £7.2m in October 2020 after the first month of the Premier League season and then £10.8m before the end of the year.

By March 2021, Meslier’s value had rocketed again, increasing by £4.5m before reaching the current valuation of £18m in June.

Last season, the Frenchman kept 11 clean sheets in 35 league appearances whilst averaging four saves per game, saving 73% of the shots he faced, according to SofaScore. Moreover, the goalkeeper conceded 1.5 goals per game on average whilst saving one of nine penalties he faced as the Whites went on to impressively finish ninth.

The 21-year-old was also the subject