Daniel Farke can now move on as Robin Koch shares admission on permanent Leeds United exit
Leeds United loanee Robin Koch has finally spoken out on his Elland Road future with a permanent exit well on the cards which means the club can now move on.
The on-loan German international told Sports Illustrated Deutschland (28 September) that Leeds United “really means a lot” to him still and it “wasn’t an easy decision” to choose Eintracht Frankfurt from his exit options.
Koch added that he trusted his “gut feeling” as he made a season-long loan move that will eventually see out his Elland Road contract (Transfermarkt) after almost considering moving to a Premier League club.
More crucially, the German has now suggested he will be remaining at the Bundesliga side after this campaign once he becomes a free agent next summer, meaning Leeds United can now move on without his situation hanging over the club’s heads.
Koch said: “It has always been a dream for me to play in the Premier League and experience English football there – and I have fulfilled this dream.
“In my three years at Leeds United, I have felt very comfortable so far and have developed further as a footballer and as a person. The club really means a lot to me. But it was time for me to make another change in terms of sport.
“I looked into it intensively, I also thought about staying in the Premier League, there were also other inquiries. In the end it wasn’t an easy decision, but as always in my career so far, I trusted my gut feeling.
“Eintracht Frankfurt, with their team and fans, is the right team for me next season. Also against the background of what has been built here in recent years.”
While a parting of the ways between Koch and Leeds United was potentially inevitable sooner or later it will be a source of frustration that it is set to ultimately come on a free transfer.
It’s incredibly baffling that his contract wasn’t addressed long before his loan exit over the summer, as he proved a critical performer at Elland Road over the past couple of seasons.
The Whites handed out new contracts to defenders last season because they saw the value of the position increasing, including a surprise one to Diego Llorente, but arguably the most saleable of them all in Koch never signed one which is disappointing.
The simple fact that Manchester United had an interest should mean that Leeds United may regret the decision to not place any sort of contract value on his head, and the Whites now face the threat of losing for nothing which will certainly hurt the club given his prime age, international pedigree and potential.
It looks like Koch has found the right environment for himself going forward, and Farke’s defence is now thriving without him with four straight clean sheets so far this season, so in all fairness both parties can now finally move on from each other, even if he remains a Leeds United asset right at this moment.
In other Leeds United news, the 49ers will now be on high alert to make a decision on the future of one incredibly gifted Thorp Arch academy graduate after some transfer interest involving a Premier League club.