Arsenal transfer news: Gunners sign goalkeeper Illan Meslier to avoid repeat of costly cup mistakes

Arsenal person announced the signing of goalkeeper Illan Meslier up of the 2026-27 season.

The 26-year-old has been monitored for the bulk of the summer by the Premier League champions aft departing erstwhile nine Leeds United astatine the decision of his declaration past campaign.

Transfer speculation has grown and it was reported earlier this week that Mikel Arteta's broadside were set to sign Meslier, who has struggled connected the fringes of Daniel Farke's squad astatine Elland Road successful caller times.

After playing 39 Championship matches for Leeds during the promotion-winning 2024-25 season, the Frenchman was replaced by Karl Darlow successful betwixt the sticks for the concluding stages of that term.

With Leeds signing Lucas Perri past summer, Meslier moved adjacent further down the shot-stopping pecking bid with the Whites and failed to marque a competitory first-team quality successful 2025-26.

Meslier 'very happy' aft Arsenal transfer

On Thursday (June 9), Arsenal confirmed announced their 2nd signing of the 2026 summertime transportation model pursuing Piero Hincapie's imperishable determination from German broadside Bayer Leverkusen.

The escaped cause Frenchman arrives astatine the Emirates aft 215 appearances for Leeds, keeping 70 cleanable sheets and lifting the Championship rubric connected 2 occasions successful 2020 and 2025 nether Marcelo Bielsa and Farke respectively.

Speaking to Arsenal's in-house media aft signing, Meslier said: "I americium highly happy. It is simply a large time for maine due to the fact that I person conscionable joined the champions. For me, Arsenal is the biggest nine successful England.

“I americium precise blessed and precise arrogant to articulation Arsenal. I cannot hold to amusement the emotion that I person got for this badge, and I cannot hold to triumph trophies with this team, due to the fact that this is simply a nine that needs to assistance trophies again and again."

Arsenal person confirmed that Meslier volition beryllium fixed a squad fig of 30 up of the 2026-27 season, successful which helium volition anticipation to diagnostic arsenic galore times arsenic imaginable successful the archetypal squad of Arteta.

Arsenal look to close costly cupful mistakes

In precocious March, Arsenal were striving to triumph a historical quadruple, however, back-to-back losses to Manchester City and Southampton successful the EFL Cup and FA Cup respectively reduced those dreams to that of a Premier League-Champions League double.

Starting some of those daze losses for the Gunners, second-choice goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to impressment erstwhile called upon past word and could beryllium connected the mode retired of the Emirates.

With implicit 100 appearances successful the Premier League, Meslier arrives arsenic a imaginable caller backup for first-choice David Raya, who has spent the summertime playing 2nd fiddle to Unai Simon with Spain astatine the World Cup.