Eintracht Frankfurt have paid Leeds United €500,000 to secure defender Robin Koch on loan this summer, despite reports he had left Elland Road on a free.
That’s according to BILD, who cover the defender’s arrival today and how it is not quite the free transfer that has been suggested in the last few weeks.
Koch was confirmed as a Frankfurt player yesterday, leaving Leeds after three years at the club following their relegation to the Championship.
Numerous reports in the build up to the transfer had made it clear he was effectively leaving on a free transfer as his current contract with Leeds expires next summer but he has a clause in his current deal that allows him to leave on loan this summer.
Thus, the suggestion was that he would leave on loan and then become a free agent next summer and join whoever he likes. Indeed, a report from BILD yesterday made it clear that is exactly what Frankfurt intended to do.
BILD, though, say that according to their information, Eintracht have actually paid around €500,000 for the loan and had to ‘take over’ the defender’s salary from Leeds as well.
Why they would pay such a figure for a loan, particularly when Koch’s contract expires next summer, isn’t made clear but our suggestion would be that they have paid the figure to secure his long-term future and avoid a fight next summer when his deal expires.
Either way, it seems Leeds have earned something from the transfer, which should come as some comfort amid the exodus of players from Elland Road this summer.
