Eintracht Frankfurt could look to enter negotiations with Leeds United to make Robin Koch’s loan deal a permanent one once the January transfer window opens.
That’s according to Sport 1, who say there is no intention from the German club or the player to let their association be a short-term one.
Koch is currently on loan with the Bundesliga side, after joining from Leeds in the summer following their relegation to the Championship.
He’s been a regular since his arrival and established himself as a key player in the heart of their defence, with a series of impressive performances earning him rave reviews and helping Frankfurt to eighth place.
He’s regularly been speaking about his delight at how things are going, and they’re also delighted with him, so much so that plans are already afoot to make his move a permanent one.
According to their information, the plan from the club and the professional’s side is ‘clearly aimed’ at a long-term stay and negotiations can, and presumably will be conducted from January 1st on this front.
Nobody at Eintracht wants to miss out on Koch and they want to make him a central building block. He has likewise, with his public comments, made it clear he wants to stay so reaching an agreement shouldn’t be difficult.
What isn’t clear is how Leeds factor into it. Koch has a contract with them until the summer of 2024, but he is free to negotiate with clubs from January under the Bosman ruling.
So therefore, it remains to be seen if Eintracht plan to get him to sign a pre-contract agreement, or even if they can alongside his loan deal, or perhaps pay Leeds a fee to sign him permanently six months earlier.
Back in the summer it was claimed the Germans had paid €500,000 for the loan to avoid future problems, so it also remains to be seen how that factors into things moving forward. Either way, it seems everyone is happy, and Koch will be moving permanently at some point.
