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

Arsenal have announced the signing of goalkeeper Illan Meslier ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The 26-year-old has been monitored for the majority of the summer by the Premier League champions after departing former club Leeds United at the conclusion of his contract last campaign.

Transfer speculation has grown and it was reported earlier this week that Mikel Arteta's side were set to sign Meslier, who has struggled on the fringes of Daniel Farke's squad at Elland Road in recent times.

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

With Leeds signing Lucas Perri last summer, Meslier moved even further down the shot-stopping pecking order with the Whites and failed to make a competitive first-team appearance in 2025-26.

Meslier 'very happy' after Arsenal transfer

On Thursday (June 9), Arsenal confirmed announced their second signing of the 2026 summer transfer window following Piero Hincapie's permanent move from German side Bayer Leverkusen.

The free agent Frenchman arrives at the Emirates after 215 appearances for Leeds, keeping 70 clean sheets and lifting the Championship title on two occasions in 2020 and 2025 under Marcelo Bielsa and Farke respectively.

Speaking to Arsenal's in-house media after signing, Meslier said: "I am extremely happy. It is a great day for me because I have just joined the champions. For me, Arsenal is the biggest club in England.

“I am very happy and very proud to join Arsenal. I cannot wait to show the love that I have got for this badge, and I cannot wait to win trophies with this team, because this is a club that needs to lift trophies again and again."

Arsenal have confirmed that Meslier will be given a squad number of 30 ahead of the 2026-27 season, in which he will hope to feature as many times as possible in the first team of Arteta.

Arsenal look to correct costly cup mistakes

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

Starting both of those shock losses for the Gunners, second-choice goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to impress when called upon last term and could be on the way out of the Emirates.

With over 100 appearances in the Premier League, Meslier arrives as a potential new backup for first-choice David Raya, who has spent the summer playing second fiddle to Unai Simon with Spain at the World Cup.