Leeds United enjoyed an excellent summer transfer window.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side made a number of moves to strengthen the squad and brought in a clutch of excellent players.
Rodrigo is a fine striker, Diego Llorente offers some real brawn at centre-back, and Raphinha and Helder Costa are both tricky wingers with the talents needed to take the Premier League by storm.
Illan Meslier also arrived on a permanent basis after spending last season on loan at the club from French club Lorient.
He has since become the club’s No.1, ahead of Kiko Casilla, playing in all eight of their Premier League games thus far.
He has conceded 17 goals in that time, though, and former Leeds star Danny Mills believes that the club missed a trick by not signing a more experienced goalkeeper in the summer.
The ex-England right-back believes that the club should have pursued a move for the former England international Joe Hart, who ended up moving to Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer following his release from Burnley. He has won 75 caps for his country and has played at major international tournaments, including the World Cup.
Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “I mentioned this at the start of the season when it wasn’t quite sure who the number one was going to be.
“I mentioned Joe Hart an awful lot, before he went to Tottenham.
“To come in as a goalkeeper of stature, Premier League experience, a good attitude and he’s prepared to fight for the number one position. He’s not coming in to be guaranteed number one above everybody else.
“Also, Illan Meslier could learn off him and could understand what it takes to get to the very, very top. The rigorous training regime, the effort you have to put in – that experience that can be offered by a senior goalkeeper like Joe Hart or Fraser Forster, somebody like that with their experience is invaluable.
“The goalkeepers are a very close group, we often hear about the ‘goalkeepers union’ and they train together all the time.
“They do work very closely and I think having that senior figure pushing him for a place and being able to learn off him would have been advantageous to him and the football club.”
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
This is actually a really good shout from Mills.
Hart is a genuinely experienced Premier League player, who could have brought some real know-how to the Elland Road squad.
This is not to say that Meslier wouldn’t have come in too, but Hart could have helped him learn, develop, and grow at the club.
During his time at Spurs so far, Hart has played twice in Europa League qualifying and twice in the Europa League proper.
He is being given the minutes required to make a genuine impact at Tottenham and he could have done that at Leeds too.
For a free transfer, Mills is right to say that Bielsa’s men missed a trick.