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The former Bangladesh captain underwent an an angioplasty surgery on Monday

Mohammad Isam28-Mar-2025

Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal has returned home, having been discharged from the hospital on Friday, four days after he had suffered a heart attack. Tamim will continue to be monitored by specialists for the next few weeks after having undergone an angioplasty surgery on Monday.Tamim was leading Mohammedan Sporting Club in a Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League match against Shinepukur Cricket Club, at the BKSP ground, when he felt unwell shortly after the toss. He was taken to the KPJ Specialised Hospital and Nursing Home (formerly Fazilatunnesa Hospital) near the ground in Savar. After the initial tests, Tamim was carried on a helicopter from BKSP to a hospital in Dhaka.He, however, collapsed while getting back to BKSP. Tamim’s condition worsened, to the extent that the Mohammedan team physio had to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him before the hospital administered shock therapy to resuscitate him. When Tamim regained consciousness, the cardiologist operated on him, putting a ring in one of his arteries.Related

Tamim undergoes emergency angioplasty after suffering heart attack during Dhaka Premier League game

Tamim’s family members rushed to Savar to be beside him, alongside cricketers, coaches, journalists and fans who were all shocked by the news. Tamim however regained his senses after the surgery, with the doctors announcing that the following 72 hours would be crucial for his recovery.Two days after his surgery, Tamim was shifted to another hospital in Dhaka. From there, Tamim was discharged on Friday.Tamim, who retired from international cricket in January this year, is still playing domestic cricket. He led the Fortune Barishal franchise to their second BPL title; he also struck two centuries for Mohammedan in this season’s DPL.

Whilst last weekend’s performance against Arsenal showed plenty of promise despite defeat, Manchester United and INEOS are still reportedly discussing the chance to welcome a midfield reinforcement.

Man Utd line up new targets after Baleba price proves prohibitive

Having been told that Carlos Baleba is not for sale unless they reach a premium price this month, Manchester United have been left with no choice but to pivot towards other targets. With less than two weeks remaining until deadline day, however, it remains to be seen whether Ruben Amorim welcomes the last reinforcements that he needs to take his side back into European contention.

The two main weaknesses that the Red Devils must address lie in midfield and in goal. Of course. Baleba was earmarked to solve that midfield problem, but the Brighton & Hove Albion star is off the table for the time being. As such, targets such as Lucien Agoume have threatened to steal the headlines, with reports going as far as to say that the Sevilla star is now United’s priority target.

Meanwhile, Amorim’s goalkeeper problem was exposed for all to see against Arsenal. Choosing to go with Altay Bayindir over Andre Onana, who missed much of pre-season through injury, the Manchester United boss watched on as his second-choice flapped at Arsenal’s first corner of the game to hand them what proved to be the winning goal through Riccardo Calafiori.

It’s a problem that INEOS must solve before the end of the month with the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma still on the market and available if they manage to leap ahead of rivals Manchester City in the race for his signature.

What’s more, alongside Donnarumma to solve their goalkeeper problem, reports are also now suggesting that Agoume isn’t the only Baleba alternative being discussed at Old Trafford this summer to hand Amorim a much-needed midfielder.

INEOS hold internal discussions about Angelo Stiller

According to Ben Jacobs and Sam Cohen, INEOS have now held “internal discussions” about signing Angelo Stiller from VfB Stuttgart this month. The German impressed in the Bundesliga last season and has since found himself on United’s radar as a result. And whilst talks are yet to be held between the two clubs, the Stuttgart star is potentially one to watch as deadline day approaches.

Described as a “complete and capable” midfielder by analyst Ben Mattinson, Manchester United could certainly do a lot worse than signing Stiller this summer.

Bad news for Bruno: INEOS preparing late bid to sign £38m star for Man Utd

Manchester United look set to make their move for another talented midfielder this summer.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 21, 2025

The German midfielder is unlikely to cost the same premium fee as Baleba, but would offer Amorim a similar upgrade on current options like Manuel Ugarte this season.

Cameron Bancroft is set to be ruled out of the remainder of the BBL with a broken nose and fractured shoulder while Daniel Sams faces at least 12 days out of action under concussion protocols following the scary on-field collision at Optus Stadium on Friday night.Both players were due to be released from hospital on Saturday afternoon following the results of CT scans which have not shown further significant injuries. They will remain in Perth, supported by members of Thunder’s backroom staff, while the rest of the squad travels to Brisbane.Being from Western Australia, Bancroft has family in Perth while Thunder have flown Sams’ wife across to be with him while he recovers. A decision on when Sams returns to Sydney will be made based on medical advice. There is a chance he does not feature again in the tournament.”Largely, the players are in good spirits,” Thunder general manager Trent Copeland told reporters at the SCG. “In the last hour, we’ve had confirmation that CT scans have come back largely pretty clear.”Cameron is with family in Perth, he had family with him at the hospital along with team staff. The likelihood is that he’s going to be out for the remainder of the BBL. Dan Sams doesn’t have that luxury, away from home, so we’ve flown his wife Dani over there today and we’ve had some team staff not go on the team flight to Brisbane for the Heat match tomorrow night. It’s a monitoring process from here. Hopefully through the next couple of days, we get some good news.”Ollie Davies and Hugh Weibgen were brought into the Thunder side as concussion substitutes with Weibgen going on to hit a crucial six in what became a final-ball victory. Davies was in the team hotel at the time of the accident with a virus and quickly made his way to the ground.”Sydney Thunder would like to thank medical and other staff on hand following the accident, including those from the Scorchers, Cricket Australia and our own staff,” a club statement added. “Cameron and Daniel have received the best care possible and we will support them and their families as they recover from their injuries.”The incident happen in the 16th over of Scorchers’ innings, when Cooper Connolly hit Lockie Ferguson aerially on the leg side. Sams sprinted from the infield with eyes on the ball. At the same time, Bancroft also ran in at full speed from the outfield. They crashed into each other, knocking their heads.The Thunder players quickly ran to the pair, who lay motionless on the ground, and frantically gestured for medical support, which came immediately.Sams was stretchered off in a mini-ambulance, while Bancroft managed to walk off the ground with a physio’s support with blood gushing from his nose.Play was halted for about 20 minutes as Thunder captain David Warner and the team’s coaches were involved in discussions with match officials.”I’m praying that they can come out soon and be back on the park,” said Sherfane Rutherford, who hit a boundary off the last ball to lift Thunder to a four-wicket victory. “I actually saw everything but when I saw the blood, I turned because I’m not a fan of blood. It was pretty tough. It was definitely motivation for us. We had a little chat before we went out to bat and it was just [do it] for them.”The collision took place close to where Hilton Cartwright was stretchered off after suffering a fielding mishap in the BBL season-opener.

Glasgow Rangers have reportedly submitted an offer worth over £1m in an attempt to sign their latest EFL star for Russell Martin.

Latest Rangers transfer news

The Gers have endured a frustrating start under Martin. After such a promising summer, which has been full of incomings, there was plenty of hopes that a new manager, new owners and a new season would result in the ultimate change. So far, however, that has been far from the case.

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He struggled in the defeat.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Aug 14, 2025

Whilst Rangers did find a way past Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday night, it wasn’t without suffering defeat and falling back on their first-leg smashing to sneak in to the next round of Champions League qualifiers.

Outside of European football, things haven’t been much better, either. For the first time since 1989, the Scottish giants have failed to win either of their opening two league games – drawing against Motherwell and Dundee – and Martin wasted no time before airing his particular discontent about their opening day struggles.

Since his scathing review, it remains to be seen whether the former Southampton boss can tame the egos within the Rangers squad as more reinforcements potentially arrive this month.

Rangers submit opening offer to sign Charles

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Rangers have submitted an opening offer to sign Pierce Charles worth over £1m but are yet to receive a response from Sheffield Wednesday. The Owls could certainly do with such a sale amid their financial troubles, but Dejphon Chansiri’s failure to respond currently means that any deal is off the table.

Whether the Gers attempt to get a response for a second time remains to be seen. Charles’ sale would reportedly go a long way towards paying staff wages at Sheffield Wednesday, which makes it all the more frustrating for all involved at the club that neither Rangers nor West Ham United have had a reply regarding their offers.

What’s more, it’s easy to see why clubs like Rangers and West Ham are interested in Charles. At just 20 years old, Charles forced his way into Sheffield Wednesday’s plans last season and earned the praise of former boss Danny Rohl, who said: “We have two young, good goalkeepers.

“We have James Beadle who deserves a lot of credit since he arrived last year in the relegation fight, he helped us to get a lot of points. On the other side we have our own goalkeeper with Pierce, who has worked very hard. He is now the number one for his national team and has improved a lot – he deserved it as well.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now “close” to reaching an agreement for a “powerful” defender, with talks “underway”, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

Wolves set sights on defender with Semedo set to leave

Wolves are now planning for life without Nelson Semedo, as their former captain is still yet to commit to a new contract, and Vitor Pereira’s latest update indicates the right-back will not be returning to Molineux.

The manager said: “The relationship that I have with Nelson, we have been, from the beginning, very honest. He said to me that maybe it’s time, after five years here, to find another challenge and I understand. But I need to feel that he’s honest with me. I prefer to know the truth from the beginning. Then, waiting and waiting and waiting. We cannot wait.”

The 31-year-old established himself as a key player during his five seasons at Molineux, making 34 Premier League appearances last season, but given that he is now looking increasingly likely to leave, Pereira has set his sights on a replacement.

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Last week, it was revealed the Old Gold had overtaken AC Milan in the race for Almeria right-back Marc Pubill, and there has now been another exciting update on the pursuit of the defender, which states talks are “underway”.

Taking to X, Romano has now revealed that Wolves are “close to reaching an agreement” for Pubill, with both Almeria and on the player’s side, and they are hoping to get a deal over the line very soon, having submitted a €15m (£13m) offer.

"Powerful" Pubill could be solid replacement for Semedo

It will be a blow for Pereira to lose Semedo, given that the Portuguese defender has bags of Premier League experience, but there are plenty of signs the Almeria full-back could be capable of being a solid long-term replacement.

At just 22-years-old, the Spanish defender is still young, but he has a plethora of first-team experience, making 63 appearances for Almeria, during which time he has showcased his attacking prowess by picking up two goals and eight assists.

Football scout Ben Mattinson has also praised the Spain U21 international for his performances at the U21 European Championships.

As such, Pubill could be an exciting long-term addition to Pereira’s squad, so it is promising news that a deal is now edging closer to completion.

In his first press conference as the BCB president, Faruque Ahmed has reiterated that Chandika Hathurusinghe should no longer continue as Bangladesh’s head coach. He had expressed the same view earlier this week as well, before taking up the BCB job.”I am yet to find out about Chandika Hathurusinghe’s contract. I have to see some stuff officially but I have not moved from my previous stance,” Faruque said on Wednesday. “I have to speak to my colleague over the next two or three days, and see if we can find someone better than him. We have to prepare a shortlist, and see who wants to join us.”Faruque had resigned as the chief selector in 2016 after then-BCB president Nazmul Hassan put a two-tier selection panel, reportedly at Hathurusinghe’s request. Hathurusinghe’s current contract as the head coach runs till the end of February 2025, when the Champions Trophy is also scheduled to get over.Related

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“His credibility and background of what he has done on and off the field, there’s no reason for him to stay [as Bangladesh’s coach],” he said on the YouTube show . “You will lose some money [if you sack him], but there will be greater damage by his presence. I had noticed that it is impossible to work in the environment he wants to work in.”When Hathurusinghe was brought back for a second stint in 2023, Faruque was one of those who had questioned his return. Despite the BCB showing confidence in Hathurusinghe, Bangladesh didn’t continue the upswing of Steve Rhodes and Russell Domingo.Within a few months of Hathurusinghe’s appointment, there was instability in the dressing room, with Tamim Iqbal retiring and Shakib Al Hasan lashing out at Tamim in the media. Allan Donald soon left his role as fast-bowling coach. Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup performance was also sub-par, with many questioning Hathurusinghe’s decision-making in the Super Eight game against Afghanistan.”It was a real blunder to bring back Hathurusinghe for a second stint,” Faruque said. “He had left us in trouble the last time he left the job [in 2017]. Bangladesh was a stepping stone for him. He went back to his country, became their head coach. I couldn’t believe that a 25-member board of directors, including the president, could make such a decision. I hope they are realising their mistake.”Those who brought him back thought that he was a magician. They thought that only Hathurusinghe created this bubble of success. Cricket is not about magic. Bangladesh’s success is due to a combination of players, coaches, selection committee and even board officials.”

Faruque: Would like to see Tamim playing for Bangladesh again

In his long press conference at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, Faruque also said that he wanted to understand if Shakib was willing to play in Bangladesh this year. Shakib was an Awami League member of parliament until the government fell on August 5. Several ministers and MPs have been arrested since then while others have gone into hiding. They were also targets of violence in the aftermath of Awami League’s exit.”We will give a lot of importance to understanding whether Shakib can play while staying outside Bangladesh. We have two home Tests coming up [in October], so I will discuss with my directors what the policy should be about Shakib. It should have been a policy matter even before [he became an MP] that he won’t be allowed to do politics.”Faruque, however, was hopeful of Tamim’s return to international cricket. Tamim had briefly retired from international cricket last year before making a U-turn on his decision and also opted out of the central contacts. He last played for Bangladesh in September 2023, after which he played in the BPL and DPL.”The relevant board department will see what he has to do to play [for Bangladesh],” Faruque said. “I would like to see Tamim Iqbal play for two or three years more. Maybe ODI is his best format now. I think Tamim can tell you better whether he can play the longer format.”I want to speak to Tamim about his future plans. He is a former captain so he definitely has leadership qualities. If he doesn’t want to play, I will be happy to see him get involved with the board. He can serve us well in the board.”

A “fantastic” Sunderland player looks to be closing in on a summer exit from the club, with “positive” discussions reportedly taking place over his future.

Who could Sunderland sign back in the Premier League?

The Black Cats are preparing for life back in the Premier League, following their memorable promotion to the Championship, with plenty of players being mentioned as potential signings.

Dynamo Kiev striker Vladyslav Vanat is reportedly seen as a top target for Sunderland, who are believed to be leading the race to snap him up in the summer transfer window. The 23-year-old scored 17 goals in the league last season, outlining his pedigree as an exciting target.

Meanwhile, Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez has also been backed to join the Black Cats this summer, although he appears to have poured cold water on the rumour in a recent Instagram post, saying:

“10 years ago as a kid moving from south east London to Liverpool, I couldn’t even imagine looking this far into the future. Looking back now I’m full of gratitude & take so much pride in being a part of this club and city.No denying the challenges along the way, but embracing them to grow as both a player and a person is something I’ve always tried to do & I’m grateful for all the support in trying to do that.It’s been a blessing to be a part of the different dressing rooms and getting to create such special memories over the years with so many great players & staff. I felt it was important to share my thanks to you all for the support throughout the years, it’s always meant the world and I will never take it for granted. A decade in red… and still hungry to keep going.”

Sunderland in "positive" discussions over exit for 22 y/o

Now, according to Hibernian head coach David Gray, talks over Sunderland midfielder Nectarios Triantis sealing a permanent move there are going positively currently, following a loan stint at the Scottish club last season.

“He is another one who had a fantastic season. You seen how much he improved last year, playing week-in, week out. His parent club have just got promoted to the Premier League and their are conversations going on. Clearly he was a big part of what we done last year and it is a position that we are going to need to fill. There is conversations going on there that are positive at the minute but you always need to be proactive and making sure that you are trying to get your work in as early as you can.”

Since then, The Northern Echo have reported that talks are at an advanced stage over a permanent exit for Triantis.

This summer feels like the right time for Triantis to leave Sunderland, considering he hasn’t been an important part of Regis Le Bris’ plans at the Stadium of Light.

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The 22-year-old Australian has made just five appearances for the Black Cats since arriving in the summer of 2023, and receiving funds for him instead of losing him on a free transfer in 2027 makes perfect sense.

And just like that, Tottenham Hotspur have made history.

After everything that has gone wrong this season, after all the losses in the Premier League and domestic cups, Ange Postecoglou’s side walked out against Manchester United last night and left the pitch as Europa League champions.

It wasn’t exactly a game of the highest standard, but we don’t think a single player or fan associated with the North Londoners cares, as their 17-year trophy drought is finally over.

Moreover, while the quality wasn’t necessarily present, there were plenty of hearty and heroic performances from the men in white, including one starter who must surely now be worth a fortune.

Spurs' star performers vs United

So, before we get to the player in question, it’s only fair we look at some of the other Spurs starters who left it all out on the pitch last night, such as Brennan Johnson.

The Welshman can sometimes go missing in games, and while he wasn’t exactly a constant threat in Bilbao, he managed to score the all-important goal and, as a result, etched his name into Tottenham folklore.

In short, the former Nottingham Forest star was fully deserving of the 8/10 match rating he got from the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick.

The same score was given to Cristian Romero, who wore the captain’s armband until Son Heung-min came on late in the second half, and he more than led by example.

While perhaps a little too heated at times, the Argentine dealt with Rasmus Hojlund with ease, then managed to keep Joshua Zirksee relatively quiet and walked away with the Man of the Match award.

Finally, the often-maligned Yves Bissouma also deserves some serious credit for his complete display in the middle of the park.

The Mali international helped to mop up United’s middling attacks and even split their defence open with a brilliant pass on the odd occasion, in turn justifying the 8/10 match rating he got from Kilpatrick.

Yet, there was another starter from last night who was the pick of the bunch, someone who is a £101m superstar in the making.

Spurs' £101m superstar in the making

While there were some other starters who did themselves proud last night, like Richarlison and Pedro Porro, the incredible player we want to talk about is none other than Micky van de Ven.

Performance in Numbers

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The Flying Dutchman was utterly superb for Spurs last night and was arguably even more impressive than his defensive partner, so much so that considering Romero was valued at around £101m late last year, we reckon the former Vfl Wolfsburg gem isn’t too far off a similar valuation.

It was a masterclass of performance, with the 24-year-old making five clearances, completing 100% of his passes, blocking two shots and, most crucially, making a goal-line clearance from Hojlund’s header after Guglimle Vicario fumbled the ball from a cross.

Unsurprisingly, we were not the only ones massively impressed with the titanic defender.

For example, Kilpatrick awarded him a 9/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he was ‘composed and commanding at the back’ throughout the game.

Then, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig went a step further and labelled him as “one of Tottenham’s absolute heroes,” which, considering the context of his display and what it means for the club going forward, is pretty hard to dispute.

Ultimately, there were heroic performances across the pitch for Spurs last night, but for our money, anyway, Van de Ven was the pick of the bunch, and if Romero has a valuation of up to £101m, it’s just a matter of time until he does as well.

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Newcastle United have now identified an “incredible” Premier League forward as their ideal summer target, but a deal could amount to as much as £65m, according to a report.

Magpies planning to sign new forward

Despite widespread interest in Alexander Isak, Newcastle should be in a strong position to keep hold of their star striker this summer, given that he will still have three years remaining on his contract by the end of the season.

Champions League qualification could play a big role in convincing Isak to extend his stay at St. James’ Park, which would arguably be better than any new signing, but the Magpies are also keen on bringing in additional options in attack.

Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman is among the options, with sporting director Paul Mitchell planning to hold talks over a deal for the forward, while Eddie Howe has held direct talks with Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, who is in line to leave the Tractor Boys for just £30m this summer.

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Delap isn’t the only Premier League forward on the shortlist, however, with a report from Caught Offside revealing Newcastle are keen on signing Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo, having identified the right-winger as their ideal summer target.

Given the level of Mbeumo’s performances this season, a deal will not be cheap, with Brentford setting an asking price of around £60m – £65m, and there could be a great deal of competition for his signature.

Manchester United are now preparing an opening bid for the 25-year-old, while Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are closely monitoring his situation, so it may be difficult for the Magpies to get a deal done.

"Incredible" Mbeumo could be perfect signing for Newcastle

The France-born forward has largely featured at right-wing this season, where he has flourished in front of goal, picking up 18 goals and seven assists in 35 Premier League outings, which ranks the Brentford star as the league’s joint-fifth top scorer.

Jacob Murphy has also done a stellar job on the right flank, amassing eight goals and 11 assists in the league, but Howe will need strength in depth if his side are to compete on all fronts next season, with a Champions League campaign in the pipeline.

Having performed extremely well in the Premier League this season, the Cameroon international has proven he is ready to make the step-up to a side part of Europe’s elite competition, and he has impressed manager Thomas Frank in the process.

The Dane lauded Mbeumo as “incredible” after scoring in Brentford’s 4-2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion last month, so it is exciting news that Newcastle have selected him as an ideal target, but given the widespread interest, it could be difficult to win the race for the forward’s signature.

Every team with aspirations of winning the league needs a good goalkeeper. Leeds United are testing that theory to the max this season, with No 1 Illan Meslier being guilty of several high-profile errors as the Whites chase promotion from the Championship.

The Frenchman never seems too far away from an unfortunate gaffe, putting Leeds’ dreams of playing in the Premier League next season at great risk.

While he has added plenty to his catalogue of errors this season, Meslier has been no stranger to a dodgy mistake during his time at Leeds. Here, we take a look at his worst moments between the sticks.

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2 ByCharlie Smith Feb 25, 2025 1 Leeds v Newcastle, 2021/22 Meslier lets Shelvey free-kick slip through his hands

It isn’t just in the Championship that Meslier has dropped a clanger or two, and one of his worst moments in the top flight came in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

Meslier somehow allowed a Jonjo Shelvey free-kick to slip through his grasp despite standing right behind the ball.

You could argue the bodies in front of him were a distraction, but it was an awful goal for any goalkeeper to concede, and cost Leeds in what was a relegation clash at the time.

2 Arsenal v Leeds, 2021/22 Nketiah pounces on hesitant Meslier to gift Gunners lead

Later that season, Leeds were in huge relegation bother and entered a tie against an in-form Arsenal just two points above the drop.

Therefore, it was a time for calm heads and not letting games get away from themselves. Unfortunately, Meslier didn’t get the memo, as he allowed Gunners striker Eddie Nketiah to steal in when he dawdled on the ball after just five minutes.

In fairness to Meslier, the whole team imploded that day, going down to 10 players in the first half and dooming themselves to defeat before eventually escaping relegation on the final day.

3 Everton v Leeds, 2022/23 Bizarre positioning leads to Seamus Coleman wondergoal

Perhaps the worst of times to make a mistake is during a tense relegation dogfight, but that’s exactly what Meslier did during Leeds’ fateful 2022/23 campaign.

Facing another rival for top-flight safety in Everton back in February 2023, Leeds were outside of the bottom three by a point, knowing that defeat at Goodison Park would plunge them into the drop zone.

Leeds were holding the Toffees at bay until a long ball found Seamus Coleman down the right-hand side, and despite there being nobody in the box for a cross, the Irishman fired in a ball that completely caught Meslier out.

The Frenchman appeared to be set up for a cross, but had left his goal exposed in the process. It was an embarrassing goal to concede, and that’s putting it kindly.

4 Leeds v Portsmouth, 2024/25 Goalkeeper flaps at Sorensen strike to concede cheap equaliser

It appears that Meslier started the 2024/25 campaign as he meant to go on, as the first league goal Leeds conceded this term was a soft one, to say the least.

1-0 up against newly promoted Portsmouth at Elland Road, the promotion favourites will have felt in control until Meslier somehow let a shot from Elias Sorensen go straight through him.

What should have been a routine stop turned into an equaliser, and gave Pompey the confidence to take the lead twice on the day before the Whites salvaged a draw.

5 Sunderland v Leeds, 2024/25 Meslier drops all-time clanger (and two valuable points)

Perhaps the worst mistake on this list is Meslier’s inexplicable clanger right at the end of Leeds’ trip to Sunderland back in October.

With Leeds holding out against their promotion rivals after coming from behind to lead at the Stadium of Light, they had one set piece to defend to secure all the points.

And despite Leeds seemingly dealing with it as a deflection off Junior Firpo had the ball calmly sailing towards Meslier, the Frenchman made an almighty howler by completely misjudging the bouncing ball, handing the Black Cats an unlikely point at the death.

6 Preston v Leeds, 2024/25 Frenchman parries ball into side-netting

Leeds were left to rescue a point against Preston North End just before Christmas after Meslier’s poor attempt at keeping out Brad Potts’ effort threatened to inflict a third away defeat in four games.

Potts turned home a cross from Milutin Osmajic to give the hosts the lead, but the shot was straight at Meslier, and while by no means his worst mistake in Leeds colours, he will have been bitterly disappointed at how weakly he dealt with a rather tame attempt on goal.

Meslier simply pushed the ball into his side-net, with his positioning also to blame.

7 Hull v Leeds, 2024/25 Meslier drops ball from under crossbar to spark Tigers comeback

Leeds had done superbly well to hit back from going a goal down early on against Hull City, and had led by two thanks to Joel Piroe’s fine strike in the 72nd minute.

But another set-piece mistake in the final 10 minutes saw Meslier try to catch a ball likely heading over his crossbar, only to drop it at the feet of a grateful Joao Pedro.

You could argue he was culpable for all of the goals Leeds conceded that day, but the second one was the pivotal moment of the match, and it led to Abu Kamara’s eventual late equaliser.

8 Sheff Utd v Leeds, 2024/25 Goalie scores OG in huge Championship clash

Meslier may have got away with this one, but there’s no getting away from the fact he made a big error in a big game.

Early in their top-of-the-table clash against Sheffield United, the Frenchman ended up making an astounding stop from Callum O’Hare’s close-range effort, only to clumsily knock in a header from Tyrese Campbell that had hit the post.

Goals from Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe got the Whites (and Meslier) out of jail, but the Leeds No 1 almost cost them in their biggest match of the season.

9 Leeds v Swansea, 2024/25 Meslier guilty of multiple errors to dent promotion hopes

Leeds’ form has been up and down as we enter the final month of the league campaign, and Meslier’s poor goalkeeping reared its head once more in the Whites’ recent clash with Swansea City.

Daniel Farke’s side led twice through Brenden Aaronson and Wilfried Gnonto, but Meslier was chiefly responsible for at least one of the visitors’ goals.

He dropped a Swansea corner to gift Harry Darling an equaliser prior to what looked like a Gnonto winner, but then let a rasping drive from Zan Vipotnik through his body as the Swans snatched a point at Elland Road.

Vipotnik’s shot was certainly struck well enough, but it squirmed underneath Meslier into the bottom corner to hand their rivals another leg up in the promotion race.

Meslier’s howlers surely put his Leeds future at risk, regardless of whether they get promotion this year. Having missed out last season and dropped points late on due to his errors alone, it is a problem Farke will have to fix sooner rather than later.

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