Leeds United and 49ers should have pushed for more from Robin Koch exit
Leeds United defender Robin Koch completed his move to Eintracht Frankfurt on a season-long loan deal this week, and it has now been shared by BILD in Germany that they paid a fee of around £427,000 for his services.
It has initially been suggested that the move would be for free, with the German outfit covering Koch’s wages in full, but was reported in The Athletic [3 July] that Leeds United were looking to receive a fee on top of the loan deal, although it was not detailed how much they were looking for.
It feels strange that the Whites have accepted such a low fee for a player who they signed for over £10million, especially when money will be tight.
Strange?
Koch’s contract at Leeds United runs out at the end of the coming season, with multiple options for the defender upon its expiry, but it was widely expected that he would leave for free this summer and never return to Elland Road.
However, knowing that his contract was running out next year, they should have pushed for a permanent exit now, rather than getting stung later down the line.
Ultimately, though, the cost of relegation from the Premier League has meant Leeds United will be losing a player who they spent £11.1million on just three years ago for a total fee of £427,000, despite his 77 appearances for the English club.
Koch’s departure represents the first big step in the summer clearout Leeds United face, with Brenden Aaronson, expected to follow him out the door as a move to Union Berlin draws closer [Daily Mail, 3 July], while Diego Llorente closes in on a loan move to Roma [Di Marzio, 7 July] and Tyler Adams, Rodrigo and Rasmus Kristensen also look set to depart.
The 49ers know how to run their business, no one is disputing that, but letting all of these players move on loan seems strange when you need to recoup more than just wages after relegation.
Hopefully, they negotiate harder in the two months to come.
In other Leeds United news, the club have been linked to this 95th-percentile star who should be their top target this summer.