Leeds United net six-figure loan fee as Eintracht Frankfurt beat Manchester United and Newcastle to Robin Koch
Eintracht Frankfurt are paying Leeds United approximately €500,000 as a loan fee [£426,000] for Robin Koch but plan to sign him permanently for free next summer, Bild reports.
The German defender was a sought-after target following the Whites’ relegation with the Bundesliga side overcoming league rivals Bayer Leverkusen and the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United in the Premier League, and Napoli in Serie A.
There were multiple reports in Germany that Koch had a release clause that allowed him to leave on a free transfer because Leeds United had dropped into the Championship.
That has proven not to be the case in effect, as Eintracht are paying a loan fee, but with his contract expiring next year they are indeed looking to end up signing him on a free transfer from Elland Road.
They think he will be key, with sporting director Markus Krösche saying, as per Bild: “Robin was one of the captains in Leeds, played in the German national team and will also play a central role for us.”
The move was confirmed on Thursday (6 July).
Frustrating end
The loan fee is ultimately better than nothing, but losing a player who could otherwise have brought in an eight-figure transfer fee for nothing in a year’s time isn’t an amazing outcome.
Koch’s performances in a Leeds United shirt over the past year make it unexpected for there to be so much interest in his services.
But given there was such a market there it is disappointing for the Whites to not able to take advantage to greater effect.
The loan exit clauses in many of the squad’s contracts appears to have avoided the possibility that the wage bill in the second tier would be crammed with expensive deals, but given many are also thought to have had hefty cuts to their pay after relegation it has also seen the club lose out on transfer fees.
Daniel Farke will likely lose a host of first-team players, and after last season’s performances he likely won’t mind too much.
But he would surely have liked to have as much available for his transfer budget as possible, so the manner of Koch’s departure certainly hasn’t been as lucrative as many would have liked.
In other Leeds United news, a significant departure from Elland Road has been “instigated” by Farke arriving according to Phil Hay.