As we edge closer to the end of the season and the summer, so the transfer speculation will intensify. It's already started with the circus around Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, and now you can throw a new name into the pot with a claim by Football Insider that Leeds United are reportedly ready to listen to offers for Robin Koch in the summer.
According to the claim, the Whites are plotting for an overhaul in their defence and the German international could be someone who is sold as they look to raise funds for a new centre-back. It is being reported that a fee of around £11million will be enough to seal a transfer for Koch, who has been linked with a move away from Elland Road. The 25-year-old has struggled to establish himself at the Whites since joining from Freiburg in August 2020, making just 31 appearances in total.
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However, Koch did start 11 consecutive matches before suffering a long-term knee issue which kept him out until March 2021. It is safe to say he hasn't caught a break from injuries either, with Koch sustaining a pelvic problem on the opening day of this season against Manchester United.
It was an issue that ruled him out for three months, before he made a return to action for the 4-1 defeat against Arsenal in December. Koch, who is predominately a centre-back, has also played in central midfield during his time at the club.
Most recently, Koch has featured in a more advanced role in Kalvin Phillips' absence but is likely to be replaced as the England international returns to full fitness. And with Diego Llorente, Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk all battling for two spots in the team, Koch could struggle to force himself back into the fold.
This is one of the reasons why the Whites are supposedly ready to allow Koch to leave at the end of the season if they receive the right offer. He still has just over two years left on his current contract but is set to be sacrificed in order to get another centre-back through the door.
When quizzed on his future last month, Koch didn't rule out a return to Germany in the future after making almost 200 appearances for Kaiserslautern and Freiburg. In an interview with Sky Sports Deutschland, Koch said: "I’m not really thinking about that at the moment. But I don’t want to rule it out."
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