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New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Leeds United new boy Jaka Bijol on the Premier League, a busy summer, and the Tour de France
Finding common interests with new colleagues is a crucial step in your integration with a new workplace. Jaka Bijol may have found that with Illan Meslier as he huddled around his phone on the team bus in the past few days. The Tour de France, cycling's most prestigious event, is currently unfolding around Meslier's home country. And not one, but two of cycling's greatest competitors are both from Slovenia, Bijol's home country. Advertisement Slovenia has a population of 2.1 million people, which is equivalent to Paris, but despite that tiny base, the country has caught lightning in a bottle twice, in the same era. Primoz Roglic, 35, has never won the Tour de France, but does have five titles across the sport's other two biggest events. Tadej Pogacar, meanwhile, may be 26, but he is already en route to his fourth Tour crown this month. The Slovenian is considered by many to already be the greatest cyclist in history. Is it any wonder Bijol, his compatriot, devours every stage of the great race when he can? 'I started watching with Primoz's successes,' he says. 'I would say it's maybe six or seven years. It grew from there. When Tadej was coming up it was hard for some Slovenians, who love Primoz, to accept. 'With Tadej, everything seems so easy — I would say he's the greatest in history. You see he loves what he does and everyone else respects him a lot.' Bijol is speaking to The Athletic after a morning of training in Germany, where Daniel Farke has taken Leeds United for a pre-season training camp. Unlike a nine-month football season, the Tour is only on for three weeks every year, so fans have to be committed to watching every day. Around Saturday's friendly with Manchester United, Bijol watched what he could. He doesn't think many of his team-mates understand the tactics of the sport, but Meslier took an interest when he saw the defender watching a stage on the team bus. 'When we played Man United, it was a big stage (in the Tour) as well,' he said. 'I watched it a little bit before and then I watched it at the end, after the game. I try to watch it for sure. 'You have to focus before the game, but for sure, I watch it every day when I can. For some, it's weird because they don't understand all the tactics and everything, but really, it's not more than (the tactics) in football.' Advertisement Bijol's been grafting with the rest of the team in Germany, having made his club debut on Saturday, but in the knowledge he won't make his competitive debut in next season's opener. When Everton visit on August 18, the centre-back will be suspended. In his final appearance for Udinese, Bijol received two yellow cards and was sent off. It may have happened in Serie A, but he and the club discovered last week he will still serve the suspension in the Premier League. 'Honestly, it's really disappointing for me because I really thought it wouldn't (carry over) — and it also wasn't even a red card, I would say,' he says. 'It's kind of crazy. I asked if we can do something about it, but it looks like I just have to accept it. 'There's still a lot of games left in the season. I'm sad to miss the first one, but there's going to be a lot of them left.' Bijol was the second of the club's new signings this summer. His transfer was announced on June 23. His Instagram account would show you he married his wife, Neza, on June 14. It's fair to say it's been a life-changing summer break for the 26-year-old. A career-defining transfer worth millions of pounds and a move to the UK cannot have been the easiest preparation ahead of the most important day of his and his wife's lives. 'It worked actually quite OK together,' he said. 'It's still a lot of stress in those few days. For sure, my wife was not so happy. 'It took a little bit of focus out of the wedding, but everything worked out really good. We managed to do that first and then focus on the transfer as well. It all turned out good, so I'm happy about it.' Bijol forms one quarter of what, on paper, looks like a formidable collection of Leeds centre backs. Vice-captain Pascal Struijk, Joe Rodon and fellow new arrival Sebastiaan Bornauw will all back themselves to be worthy of Premier League starts next term. Bijol came to West Yorkshire looking for a challenge like this. He sees the potential in Leeds and, though he admits he did not intimately know the club's history, he sees everything a footballer could want from this corner of the world. 'I didn't know a lot about Leeds, but I knew the basic stuff,' he said. 'It's a really big team, a successful team in the past that had some really good years, now recent years as well, of course, a relegation, but we know it's the hardest league in the world. Advertisement 'They're growing, they have a good vision now with the owners, with everyone inside the team. I see it as the club really has a lot of potential to grow still. 'The fanbase and everything around is the club is everything a footballer can wish for. It's a big challenge.' Top photo:
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Leeds United's goalkeeper search: Perri and Zentner interest but net cast far and wide
Leeds United are shopping for a goalkeeper this summer. Illan Meslier is, after being dropped last season, not Daniel Farke's preferred No 1 as they return to the Premier League. Karl Darlow and Alex Cairns are perfectly serviceable back-up options that also aid the club's homegrown quota in the division's squad rules. In a season when United should expect their goal to be under a lot of pressure, they need a commanding presence. Advertisement Lyon's Lucas Perri and Mainz's Robin Zentner are on Leeds' shortlist but there will be more names that are not in the public domain at the time of writing. The Athletic is not presenting a list of the goalkeepers Leeds definitely want to sign. This is an analysis of who performed well last year across Europe's big five leagues and, of them, who United could realistically acquire. We started by looking at which goalkeepers prevented the most goals, a key attribute, last season. One way of quantifying goalkeepers' shot-stopping abilities is to look at their performance relative to post-shot expected goals (PSxG). This metric estimates the quality of on-target shots given their placement within the goal frame, the angle from which they were taken and the distance from goal. It aims to measure how likely the average goalkeeper will save each shot. Comparing post-shot expected goals with the number of goals actually conceded can help show how well they are keeping out efforts on goal, relative to the quality of shots they have faced. The goals prevented metric indicates whether they have underperformed or overperformed in line with expectation. So here are some possible goalkeepers that would suit Farke's squad. Lyon are in limbo around their league status for next season. Inevitably, someone of Perri's reputation is going to be far easier to acquire if his club drops into France's second tier. Perri conceded 44 goals in 33 appearances last season, but the data shows he should have conceded 47.8 — he prevented 3.8 goals. That ranked him sixth in Ligue 1. The 27-year-old, who is 6ft 5in, has only had that one season in Europe, which may put off some clubs but in his final season with Botafogo, in Brazil, he was exceptional, preventing 13.1 goals in a single campaign. Lyon's head coach, Paulo Fonseca, described him as 'the best goalkeeper in the world' in March. Perri has been called up by Brazil too, but is yet to make his debut. The other data available for Perri would suggest he is a goalkeeper who tends to stay on his line and tends to keep things relatively short with his distribution. In the images below, he makes three saves in quick succession against Nantes. He gets down low to his left to divert Moses Simon's cross, but it runs to an attacker. Matthis Abline has a shot, but Perri has recovered to parry again. Unfortunately, Nemanja Matic spoons his clearance into the air. Perri gets up again and leaps to claim the ball with Pedro Chirivella advancing on him. The other name The Athletic knows Leeds have on their list. Zentner is a good example of someone who performed exceptionally last season, but for several years he was fairly mediocre in the Bundesliga. The data shows he conceded 41 goals for Mainz against a PSxG of 45 and that had Zentner ranked fourth in the Bundesliga last season. There was a similar overperformance in 2023-24, at a lower 2.2, but between 2017 and 2023, Zentner consistently conceded more goals than the data suggested he should. The graph below plots the goals prevented metric with a rolling 50-save average. The statistics show he is a commanding goalkeeper, claims a lot of crosses and is generally happy to make sweeping actions far from his goal. Zentner ranked seventh of goalkeepers for the total number of defensive actions outside his penalty area last season. The 30-year-old came close to winning his first call-up to the Germany squad in the spring. He's had arguably the best season of his career and clearly responded well to Bo Henriksen's coaching. Advertisement Henriksen has a reputation for taking pressure off his players and has generally been reassuring when they have made mistakes. Zentner is a big unit at 6ft 4in and has a reputation as a good shot-stopper. Farke has been open to recruiting from his homeland in the past and, generally, English clubs can find better value for money in Germany. The 27-year-old prevented 7.2 goals last season, the second-best performer in the German top flight and 10th-best across Europe. The German youth international, whose mother is English, became Augsburg's No 1 halfway through last season and did not look back. He made 19 appearances and through his run in the team there were some stellar individual performances. Against Stuttgart, Bochum and Bayern Munich, Dahmen recorded 11, nine and seven saves respectively. Dahmen went 683 minutes without conceding through February and March, and even when he did eventually concede, it was from a penalty. That streak was the sixth-longest in Bundesliga history. The above triple-save against Borussia Monchengladbach, after a corner, was particularly impressive. What may put Leeds off is the small sample size for Dahmen. He is 27 and only has 63 Bundesliga appearances in his career, which was spent on Mainz's bench for a long time. At 6ft 1in, he may not be big enough for the Premier League either. Dahmen claimed just six per cent of his crosses last season, but that metric can sometimes be unfair because many crosses are impossible to collect. At 32 and with more than 250 appearances for Getafe, Soria may be difficult to land, even if his side finished 13th last season. But, of the four goalkeepers here, Soria is the most proven and has the best long-term record of preventing goals. For the last seven seasons, Soria has consistently overperformed. Since 2018-19, Brice Samba, Walter Benitez, Thibaut Courtois, Alisson and Jan Oblak are the only goalkeepers who have prevented more goals in the big five divisions. Last season was his best since 2019-20, as he conceded 39 goals against a PSxG of 42. He has been crucial to Getafe's excellent defensive record since they returned to the top flight as a notoriously difficult team to break down under Jose Bordalas. They play direct, intense football and, as a result, Soria's distribution has been markedly no-nonsense. No goalkeeper launched a higher proportion of their passes more than 40 yards (72.6 per cent) last season across Europe's top five leagues. That is not to say he can't adapt his game, but that may be something to consider if Farke wants to play out from the back. If the manager did not want to remove any risk-tasking from the last line of his defence, Soria has proven he can send the ball, but then be adept at keeping it out when his defence is breached.
Daily Mirror
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Managing Leeds as Farke gets £40m go ahead and £30m Premier League hitman signs
Daniel Farke will be hoping to break the trend of promoted teams being relegated from the Premier League, and this is what Leeds United's transfer window could end up looking like Premier League survival for newly promoted teams is beginning to look like the hardest challenge in football. Now, up steps Daniel Farke and Leeds United, who will become one of the latest teams to try their luck at finishing above those dreaded dotted lines, after earning promotion from the Championship. Last year, Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton went down as quickly as they came up, just like Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United the year before. Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest were the last sides to not get relegated at the first time of asking, doing so in the 2022/23 campaign. It appears survival will be as expensive as it is difficult for Leeds, who have already been busy in the transfer window. Just under a month until the start of the new Premier League campaign, Mirror Football takes a look at who could be coming through the door. £40m green light One of Leeds' first priorities will likely be a new goalkeeper, with the future of Illan Meslier looking uncertain. The Frenchman was dropped for their last seven matches of the Championship campaign. On the subject of goalkeepers with uncertain futures, Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope could emerge as a potential, low-priced option. The 33-year-old's time at St James' Park could come to an end, as the Magpies are pursuing £40million rated Burnley No. 1 James Trafford. If he is to secure a move to the north East, it could give Leeds the green light to sign Pope. The latter will also have an eye on securing a place in the England squad for the World Cup, so will likely not settle on anything less than the No. 1 position in a Premier League team. £30m hitman Sky Sports reported back in May how Leeds have been pondering a move for Everton forward Beto. The Guinea Bissau international had a slow start under Sean Dyche, but exploded under David Moyes, contributing seven goals in 19 appearances. His goals helped drag Everton away from a relegation battle and into 13th position. However, having cost the Toffees £20m, it's likely the gangly forward will cost at least £30m. It's understood that Leeds have as much as £100m to spend in the transfer window, but could surpass that sum. They have already signed free agent Lukas Nmecha from Wolfsburg and Udinese defender Jaka Bijol. Potential £25m arrival from Serie A On the subject of centre-forwards, Nikola Krstovic of Serie A side Lecce remains an interest for Leeds. The Montenegro striker enjoyed an impressive campaign last season, contributing 11 goals and five assists in 37 Serie A appearances. His goals proved to be the difference between relegation and survival, as Lecce finished three points ahead of 18th placed Empoli. Such margins could also be vital for Leeds and the prospect of signing a striker who outscored the likes of Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic and ex-Chelsea ace Christian Pulisic could be too much to resist. It's also understood that he is valued at around £25.6m. They may also have the green light to make their move, as Italian outlet Corriere Dello Sport claimed Lecce are in talks to sign Basel ace Kevin Carlos, who would essentially be a direct replacement if bought. A new defensive partnership Having already signed Bijol, Leeds are also considering a move for Real Betis defender Natan, according to Estadio Deportivo. Interestingly, the Brazilian was only on loan from Napoli last season, but became a permanent signing this summer. However, the outlet claims Leeds, Lazio and two other undisclosed clubs have expressed an interest in signing him. They also state the La Liga side have rejected an offer of €27m (£23.3m) for his services, but it is unclear who bid that amount. If he arrives, he would likely partner new arrival Bijol and complete a brand new defensive partnership. This could be risky, but it may also stop the goals from going into the Leeds net.
New York Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The Illan Meslier debate: Is this the window for Leeds to cash in?
When Leeds United last changed divisions, Illan Meslier was advised to leave. Two years on, the goalkeeper may be hearing similar noises from those people closest to him. In the weeks after the club was relegated from the Premier League in 2023, United's then goalkeeping coach, Marcos Abad, had suggested it may be the right time for Meslier to end his time in West Yorkshire. Earlier this year, the Spaniard, now with Carlos Corberan at Valencia, told The Athletic of that exchange. Advertisement 'My advice was that maybe he had to leave, but he wanted to stay, to be promoted again with Leeds,' he said. 'I understand (his decision), but, sometimes, as a goalkeeper, it's important to know when you have to leave because, if not, it's like every single action is going to be analysed very deeply. This is not healthy. This is not helpful.' Even with his promotion mission accomplished, is now the right time for Meslier to take one of those turns at the summer crossroads? Last week's transfer links with Fenerbahce brought the debate into sharp focus. As of June 24, when the Fenerbahce reports surfaced, Leeds had not received any bids for Meslier, let alone reached an agreement for his sale. Yet, regardless of whether anything materialises with the Turkish club, Meslier's future is up for debate, not least because Daniel Farke dropped him towards the end of last season. For the final seven matches, understudy Karl Darlow was trusted to get the club's promotion bid over the line. Meslier's errors in the March 29 draw with Swansea City proved to be the final straw for the manager, but the Frenchman is understood to have held his hands up post-match. Speaking to Fozcast – The Ben Foster Podcast in late May, Patrick Bamford said Meslier had backed Darlow in the dressing room after the Swansea draw and accepted his fate. The 25-year-old may have swallowed that outcome across a seven-match run-in, but after nearly 250 senior appearances in his career, he is unlikely to favour a season-long backup role. Leeds are pursuing a new goalkeeper this summer and whether Meslier is actively asked to find a new club or not, he may sense the writing is on the wall. Accurate, advanced links to stoppers have been thin on the ground during this window, but Nick Pope is one name that has gathered traction with some outlets. If Newcastle United do sign James Trafford this summer, sources close to Pope, who remained anonymous to protect relationships, have indicated the veteran will stay at St James' Park and fight for his place. While Pope seems unlikely to be the solution at Leeds, Meslier's contract is another reason this debate should come to a head this summer. Advertisement The No 1 has 12 months remaining on his deal, meaning the current window is the last realistic opportunity to achieve a fee for him without offering a fresh contract. Based on how last season finished and how big a chasm Leeds need to bridge to the top flight, a new contract for Meslier would be a major surprise. That existing contract was signed in 2021, at the peak of Meslier's stock in Leeds colours. It was off the back of that unforgettable ninth-placed finish in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa. Meslier had not been perfect between the sticks, but he felt like the future of the club in that position at 21. Meslier conceded 52 goals during that 2020-21 campaign, while the expected goal (xG) data shows he should have let in 46.6 strikes. He is excused from the two own goals which went in, leaving him with a negative balance of 3.4 preventable goals. Of the goalkeepers who played at least 900 minutes that season, seven performed worse by this metric. For example, Crystal Palace's Vicente Guaita conceded 64 goals against an expected tally of only 50.2, placing him at the bottom of that season's list. In 2021-22, as Leeds fell down the table, Meslier became the worst-performing goalkeeper in the division. He conceded 16.2 more goals than the data suggested he should. He was only marginally better in 2022-23. As Leeds were relegated from the top flight, Meslier conceded 12.4 more goals than expected, which was only better than Southampton's Gavin Bazunu that year. He then stuck around in the Championship, as we know, but even in a team competing for promotion, Meslier was not among the best-performing goalkeepers. In 2023-24, he conceded 3.1 more goals than the data expected him to. By comparison, Mads Hermansen, at title-winning Leicester City, prevented 5.7 more goals than expected. Last season, Meslier's form improved to only 0.4 more concessions than expected, but Burnley's James Trafford and Sheffield United's Michael Cooper prevented 11.8 and 6.5 more strikes than expected, respectively. Advertisement Leeds may have virtually conceded the number of goals they were expected to last season, but they will need their stopper to outperform the data next term. Beyond the data, the errors Meslier committed are what team-mates and fans will struggle to forget. As Abad said, if he remains United's No 1, every single action will be analysed very deeply from August onwards. (Top photos: Getty Images)
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Meslier and Joseph - keep or sell?
We asked for your views on whether Leeds should sell the likes of Mateo Joseph and Illan Meslier or keep them at the clubHere are some of your comments:Mark: Meslier endured a difficult end to the season. Clearly a talent but his unforced errors were costly. Maybe time to cash in? Joseph is clearly a talent but needs more experience and more regular game time. Can we afford that in the Premier League?Glynn: Send Joseph out on loan to get more experience. He has talent but lacks experience. Sell Meslier for his own good and for the good of the Keep Joseph and send him out on loan. He showed his talent early last year but faded as pressure mounted. However, Meslier cannot recover at Leeds. A good goalie but too much baggage now to stay. Sell him and get Pope or another top confident goal In a word, sell. Both of them. Neither have a future at It's a tricky one with Joseph as he's still young and has potential but at the start of last season he was positioned as our main striker and given that opportunity, only to come up short with Joel Piroe being the main man. At the same time though Joseph shone for Spain's Under 21s but international Under 21s and Premier League football are very different. If we could get £10-15m for him I'd take it!Lee: Joseph and Meslier are both going to be stars of the future. I would sign them both to six-year contracts, then send them out on loan for a year. They both just need some confidence and some consistent playing Keep Joseph but make sure he gets minutes out on loan, I think there's a player there but he's not ready for the top flight. Meslier probably needs a move away to restart his career, he's only gone backwards at Leeds and a fresh start might give him the chance to reach his potential. I don't think the fans or the defenders in front of him would like to see him on the pitch again. Not after the points he dropped single-handedly last season.
