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Report: Controversial senior Leeds United man will not be forced out of Elland Road

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Kiko Casilla does not look like he will be forced out of Leeds United this summer.

Leeds are looking to evolve their squad this summer after finishing ninth in the Premier League last season, with a number of priority positions needing to be addressed.

For a long time the feeling has been that Leeds might look to move on Casilla given he’s fallen behind Illan Meslier in the pecking order.

That, though, doesn’t appear to be the case.

A report from Leeds Live has been detailing where Leeds’ transfer priorities lay this summer, where they have revealed exactly where the club stand on moving out Casilla.

While he is a controversial figure among the fan base, there are no noises being made by Bielsa or the Leeds hierarchy which would suggest Kiko Casilla is being forced out this summer.

The former Real Madrid stopper has two more years to run on his contract and he earns an excellent salary for a back-up stopper.

While someone with a more realistic chance of putting real pressure on Illan Meslier may be welcome, it does not feel like the rigmarole of finding Casilla a new home and bringing someone new in is high on the priority list.

Casilla, 34, has made 62 appearances for Leeds since arriving at Elland Road in January 2019. However, he’s been a controversial figure after he was hit with an eight-game ban after claims of racism against him were proven in February 2020.

Following that, Meslier has established himself as the club’s first choice, with Casilla limited to only three Premier League appearances last season under Marcelo Bielsa.

The issue with Casilla stems from those charges of racism that went against him. For some fans, there’s no forgiving that and he shouldn’t be anywhere near the squad at Elland Road.

Bielsa and those on the board at Leeds clearly have a different stance on that, though, with there no pressure on Casilla to move on.

Those are the politics that surround the Spaniard at Elland Road, whilst you can also consider it from a playing perspective.

Nobody is kidding themselves in believing that Casilla is a good enough back-up for Meslier. He’s putting very little pressure on his place in the side and the meltdown that follows whenever Casilla is included in the side reflects the lack of confidence in him.

Personally, that is the reason that the club should be looking to move him on. They want to evolve the squad after all.

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Leeds United Season Ticket Holder at Elland Road for over 20 seasons. Currently nestled in N12, but occasionally offering views from the press box. We’ve been through it all together? You bet.