Robin Koch and Diego Llorente contract update emerges with Leeds United deals running down
Diego Llorente and Robin Koch are both currently in talks with Leeds United over new contracts, according to a report from Leeds Live.
Both the centre-backs’ current deals are due to expire in the summer of 2024, and without extensions would be prime candidates to leave this summer to allow the club to at least get a minimal return for them.
But they are reportedly in a group of four Whites squad members whose contracts have close to 18-months left to run who are “advancing in talks”, along with Jack Harrison and Pascal Struijk, the latter of whom Fabrizio Romano (1 December) believes has an extension worked out.
Both defenders have been disappointing at times this season, with Llorente having lost his place to Liam Cooper following the 5-2 defeat at Brentford on 3 September, while Koch has been ever-present but struggled alongside his captain in back-to-back weeks prior to the World Cup break, conceding seven combined to Bournemouth (5 November) and Tottenham (12 November).
Phil Hay was confident back on 16 September that the club would want to keep hold of Koch, with the German still 26 and in theory with his best years ahead of him, along with Struijk and Harrison.
Llorente has just undergone surgery on a fractured hand, suffered while training in Spain during the World Cup break.
Movement
Despite his inconsistent form this season it makes sense to tie Koch’s future up, since he is still around the German national team and at an age where he retains plenty of resale value.
He is considered unlucky by some not to have been taken to Qatar by Hansi Flick, but if the German manager had watched the Bournemouth win prior to making his decision it might explain things, especially when that was followed up by the Spurs loss.
However, he has shown enough ability on his better days to suggest that with a tactical tweak or a more settled back line overall he can be a useful contributor.
At the very least a new deal would give Leeds United the ability to receive a decent fee if he was to head back to the Bundesliga.
Llorente is more of a surprise given he has never truly convinced since his arrival from Real Sociedad two-and-a-half years ago.
When the dying days of the Marcelo Bielsa era was seeing regular heavy defeats the Spaniard looked highly uncertain at the back, then after an improved start to this campaign the display at Brentford had a very similar look.
His return to the line-up at Leicester on 20 October was his chance to stake a renewed claim to the spot, but his side of the back four, with Junior Firpo, was clearly targeted by the Foxes and to great success.
At 29 it is unlikely he suddenly develops further than the level at which he is currently performing, but it appears Victor Orta and company are planning to work something out anyway.
In other Leeds United news, a pundit has leapt to the defence of an under-fire Whites ace after what he saw at the World Cup.