Revealed: Leeds imminent 7-figure signing facing four-month delay
Leeds United may not be able to complete the £5million signing of Illan Meslier until the end of August, Football Insider understands.
The Yorkshire giants were hoping to trigger the option in Mesilier’s loan contract and make him their first permanent signing as soon as the window opened in June.
A league source has told Football Insider that the Football Association may now not allow the transfer window to open until after the season has finished, which would be following the Champions League final.
Uefa is working to plans that would see final end the 2019-20 season on 29 August.
The window would then potentially open for business, although it is unclear when the window would close.
This would push back Leeds’ plans to formally register Meslier as their own player.
Football Insider revealed last month how the Championship promotion hopefuls have held talks with the goalkeeper’s parent club Lorient about converting his season-long loan into a full-time transfer.
United have to trigger the option in the keeper’s loan contract expires at a specified date, believed to be in mid-May.
However, formal ratification of the deal may be delayed from the start of June, when the window would originally have opened, until the end of August, nearly three months.
The FA, Premier League and EFL are set for talks later this week about player contracts expiring on June 30, and the summer transfer window.
FIFA have already told individual national associations they can schedule the transfer window when it suits them.
In other Leeds United news, it can be REVEALED that Victor Orta is in talks with senior Elland Road star thinking about quitting.