Kiko Casilla is expected to leave Leeds United in the summer as the Whites check out a current Premier League stopper to replace the Spaniard.
The 33-year-old’s time in England hasn’t been a success since signing from Real Madrid in January last year, with Casilla at fault as Leeds lost in the play-offs to Derby County in the previous campaign. Whilst he has recorded 15 clean sheets this season, the stopper is currently serving an eight-game suspension after he was found guilty of using racist language towards Jonathan Leko.
As a result, there has been plenty of speculation surrounding his future, with reports claiming that a return to Spain could be on the cards. And, The Athletic reports Phil Hay has suggested that could happen, as he revealed that he believes Casilla will leave and he gave an update on the search for a potential replacement, even though he didn’t mention a name.
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“My gut feeling is that they’ll replace Casilla. I’m not sure he’d be that keen to stay himself after what’s gone on in the past six months. I was told today of a Premier League keeper who Leeds are looking at closely. Need to check it out a bit more but I strongly suspect they’ll be on the look-out.”
As well as bringing in a new keeper, Hay confirmed that a deal for Illan Meslier is expected to go through in the coming months, with the youngster impressing after stepping in for Casilla before this enforced break. The Frenchman is on loan from Lorient but Leeds are set to sign the player permanently for a fee of around £5m.
Meslier is sure to continue in goal when the season returns for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, with Casilla suspended for the next six games. Leeds are seven points clear of third-placed Fulham with nine games left to play in the Championship, as the league aim to restart the season in June.