Leeds United transfer news as Robin Koch free exit close as manager pushes
Leeds United defender Robin Koch is now edging closer to the Elland Road exit with Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche pushing for his transfer, according to Florian Plettenberg.
The 25-year-old established himself as a crucial and pivotal cog in the Leeds United first team since his move from Freiburg in 2020, enjoying key roles under Marcelo Bielsa, Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia.
With Koch entering the final 12 months of his contract at Elland Road, and the club now relegated to the Championship, the 26-year-old is not expected to sign a new deal with Leeds and is now on the cusp of leaving the club, with Manchester United, West Ham and Eintracht Frankfurt among the clubs interested.
And according to Sky Germany journalist Plettenberg, taking to his personal Twitter account [17 June], Koch wants to be a leader for his new club and Germany national team and is close to a return to his native country. He tweeted:
“Robin Koch, evaluating his options now as he can leave Leeds United on a free deal. He wants to be a leader and regular starter in his new team. He wants to be part of the EURO 24.
“Eintracht with good chances at this stage as boss Krösche is pushing a lot.
“More teams are in. West Ham informed on contract conditions. Final decision will take time.”
Too good for Championship
The increasing Premier League interest in the German defender is certainly understandable considering Koch’s impressive performances for the Whites considering their lowly position in the table.
The 26-year-old proved a rock at the back for the Whites last season, starting 36 of their 38 league fixtures, having a hand in five clean sheets, averaging 1.2 interceptions [SofaScore], 1.5 tackles, 4.1 clearances and only dribbled past 0.9 times per game highlighting why he is arguably the best-performing defender at Elland Road.
Such stats show that the German international deserves a bigger shot elsewhere and a much grander platform and playing back in his country for a side as progressive as Eintracht makes his exposure to Hanis Flick and the Germany national team more appealing than it would in the Championship.
The question for Leeds United now is, can they get their house in order to ensure they are competitive next season without such a crucial player?
Nonetheless, it is almost guaranteed that Koch won’t be wearing a Leeds United shirt when that first whistle rings for the new campaign.
In other Leeds United news, Newcastle United want to sign one Whites man to help unleash Bruno Guimaraes.