Leeds United suffer first major blow of the summer as £25m star in ‘advanced’ talks to join Premier League rival

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One big priority for Leeds United will be finding a new goalkeeper this summer but The 49ers’ plans to land a £25m option between the sticks look set to be foiled.

Illan Meslier was dropped by Daniel Farke with seven games left in the Championship season, and Karl Darlow came in to replace the Frenchman. But neither look as though they will start in goal next season.

Meslier is expected to leave and Darlow should revert to second-choice goalkeeper at Elland Road. Plenty of goalkeepers have been linked with a move to Leeds already – including four England internationals.

Another is Caoimhin Kelleher. The Ireland man is rated at £25m by Liverpool and has suggested he will be leaving Anfield this summer, with Leeds among the four teams showing interest in a possible transfer.

• READ MORE: Don Goodman says Jack Rudoni should avoid a move to Leeds this summer

Brentford in ‘advanced negotiations’ to sign Caoimhin Kelleher

Of all the goalkeepers linked with a move to Yorkshire this summer, Kelleher was right at the top of the tree. But it appears Leeds are now set to miss out on what seemed to be, one of their biggest targets.

That is because Kelleher is now in advanced talks to join Brentford, according to Sky Sports. It comes after Bayer Leverkusen and Brentford agreed a fee for current Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken, around £11m.

Kelleher is set to replace Flekken at the Gtech Community Stadium, another deal Brentford have done with Liverpool – having already signed Sepp van de Berg and Fabio Carvalho for expensive transfer fees.

What Gary Kelly had said about Leeds signing Caoimhin Kelleher

It is unclear if a £25m fee for Kelleher is good value but the Ireland man has starred in his role as second-choice to Alisson over the years. A reliable man to come in and replace Alisson, given he is often injured.

Gary Kelly thinks Kelleher needs to move this summer and Leeds would have been a good landing spot for the Ireland ace. But instead, it looks as if Kelleher is set to sign on the dotted line with Brentford.

Leeds will now be forced to look at other targets, in the club’s first proper transfer blow of the summer – in that a key target has ignored interest or advances from Leeds in order to go and join a different club.