Leeds United will be gutted by January transfer development on Robin Koch
Journalist David Anderson believes Leeds United will be "gutted" to learn the news of Robin Koch's pre-contract with Eintracht Frankfurt.
The centre-back, who joined Leeds for a £11.7million fee from Freiburg in 2020, triggered a loan release clause after the Whites' relegation from the Premier League season and is now set to stay in Germany.
With the player's contract at Elland Road running out of the season, Leeds are set to lose Koch for nothing. Leeds fans will be disappointed with how his journey at the club has turned out.
"The centre-half cost Leeds £11.7million from Freiburg in August 2020 and the Elland Road outfit will be gutted to lose him on a Bosman this summer," he wrote for Daily Mirror on Tuesday (9 January, page 48).
No fairytale ending
With the hope of reaching Euro 2024 with Julian Nagelsmann's Germany team, there was no surprise to see Koch jump ships after Leeds were exiled to the Championship last season.
The 27-year-old had been a mainstay at Elland Road since Marcelo Bielsa brought him to West Yorkshire, starting 36 of Leeds' 38 Premier League matches last season.
However, the Championship was too much of a drop in quality for the defender, who decided a move to Frankfurt would be more beneficial for his career ambitions. After 14 Bundesliga starts, Koch has found himself a new home.
The player will sign a pre-contract, joining the German outlet on a free transfer until 2027. Having impressed in the Bundesliga and throughout Frankfurt's Europa Conference League campaign, the main disappointment will be that Leeds have lost out on the £11.7million fee they paid for him.
And with uncertainty over Daniel Farke's current centre-backs, with Joe Rodon's loan deal coming to an end at the end of the season, Leeds could be left searching for a new defensive signing during the summer transfer window.