Leeds United: Patrick Bamford and Illan Meslier contract developments shared | OneFootball

Leeds United are looking to secure Illan Meslier and Patrick Bamford on longer contracts.

Leeds United are in talks with Illan Meslier and Patrick Bamford over extending their deals at Elland Road, although the goalkeeper is seeking a release clause as part of any agreement.

The Whites recently moved to tie Wilfried Gnonto down on a new deal, and they are now hoping to finalise fresh terms with Meslier and Bamford, according to Give Me Sport.

With the pair seeing their contracts expire in 2026, there is no major panic at Elland Road, but they know that if nothing is sorted by the end of the season, the pair will enter the final 12 months of their deals, so it could be the last opportunity to get a fee.

Leeds United's contract situation

Therefore, it makes sense that Leeds are trying to act swiftly, particularly in the case of Meslier who will still have a decent value on the market, as he is only 24, which is still very young for a keeper.

Generally, Leeds are in a healthy position when it comes to the contract status of the squad, with Junior Firpo and Sam Byram the only two players who see their deals expire next year.

Meanwhile, Dan James and Karl Darlow are the only other players who are out of contract in 2026.

Illan Meslier wants a release clause as part of Leeds United deal

However, an agreement with Meslier may not be straightforward, as reporter Ben Jacobs told Give Me Sport that the stopper is seeking a release clause if he is to extend.

“The 49ers enterprise's approach is very much that their hands have been a bit tied contractually, and anyone that they negotiate with, they want to try and remove that clause.

“But of course, from the player's point of view, if you knew the clause existed for others, or you signed a new long-term deal, and I think this is particularly the case, from what I hear, with Meslier, that the player may want to protect themselves against the fact that if Leeds don't go up, they're stuck on a long-term deal, and maybe they feel their development is elsewhere. So it's a balancing act."

Whether Leeds agree to that remains to be seen, as it has been problematic for the Yorkshire outfit in the past two windows.

A whole host of players were able to leave on loan following Leeds’ relegation from the Premier League, much to the annoyance of the supporters.

Then, this summer, Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter all moved as they had release clauses in their contracts.

Illan Meslier and Patrick Bamford need to show they should be part of Leeds’ future

In truth, it’s somewhat surprising that the club are looking to secure Meslier and Bamford on new deals at this moment in time, as there is no real rush.

With Bamford, at 31, and with his injury record, some would feel Leeds should wait and assess the situation in 12 to 18 months, even if it is obviously risky in a way.

As for Meslier, he is a talented keeper, but he hasn’t always been consistent, and there may be some doubts about whether he is good enough for the Premier League, so if Leeds did win promotion, it may be an area they look to strengthen.

So, it will be interesting to see how talks progress with the duo over the next few weeks and months, and if they do put pen to paper on new deals.