Paul Robinson, a former goalie for Leeds United and England, thinks it is odd that Illan Meslier is still at Elland Road after losing favour.

After initially joining Leeds on loan from Lorient, the French custodian was once considered one of the best young stoppers in English football. Meslier has now been at Elland Road for six years after signing a permanent contract.

However, his stock has dropped in subsequent campaigns. Before Leeds' eventual relegation, Meslier struggled during the team's final Premier League season and was fired by interim manager Sam Allardyce.

Meslier was crucial to the team's promotion the previous season, but he has not been able to regain the form he had early in his Leeds career. The French youth international has fallen in the hierarchy since Lucas Perri arrived this summer. In spite of the Brazilian's absence from the previous four Premier League games, manager Daniel Farke chose to start Karl Darlow, a veteran.

Meslier has time to regain his peak performance, considering he is only 25 years old. Robinson acknowledged on the An Echo of Glory podcast (via Leeds United News) that he was taken aback that the goalie did not make a move during the previous transfer window.

He remarked, "Meslier's confidence is shot." "Meslier is an excellent young goalie. People tend to forget how young he is, in my opinion.

Meslier, who has featured in many top-flight games, was given a chance by Marcelo Bielsa. Meslier was dropped as soon as Allardyce arrived to try to save Leeds in the final weeks of the Premier League season because it was evident that his confidence had been shaken.

He was a young goalie who had never suffered any injuries, which I find quite similar to myself. When you are a young goalie of calibre, everyone is talking about you, your career is always going well, and you never make a mistake or receive negative press.

"To be honest, I am shocked that he is still at the club because I believe he deserved a new beginning," Robinson went on. The club has clearly moved on from him, in my opinion. However, I believe the goalie there is of the highest calibre. He is not a member of the French team.

"There is a fantastic goalie there whose confidence has just been destroyed. He needs a new beginning and a new challenge, and I do not doubt that he will go on and perform what he did for Leeds under Bielsa."

Last month, Leeds managing director Robbie Evans acknowledged there had been summer interest in Meslier; however, no deal finally proved viable for either the club or the player.

Evans stated, "I am aware that he clearly lost his position due to a change made by the squad late last season, but he is a good player, a young player, and has a lot of experience." And to be honest, he did not want to find himself in a predicament. Therefore, it turned out that having him here was better for both of them.

Since Meslier's current Leeds contract is slated to expire at the end of the current campaign, he is allowed to begin negotiations with foreign teams in January regarding a possible free transfer and pre-contract agreement.