Leeds United defender Robin Koch turned down ‘lucrative offers’ from Newcastle United and Manchester United this summer because he wanted to join Eintracht Frankfurt.
That’s according to BILD, who cover the player today and how he was targeted by the German club as they look to add more national players to their squad this summer.
Koch joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan from Leeds last week, with the German side paying €500,000 for the year long loan deal before signing him on a permanent basis next year.
The defender is one of several big departures from Elland Road this in this window as they reshape following relegation from the Premier League.
Before his return to Germany, Koch had been linked with a potential stay in the Premier League, where several clubs were thought to be considering a move.
Newcastle were one of them, with a report making it clear they were ‘in the mix’ while Manchester United were also reported to be ‘intensively’ considering a bargain move for him.
Those reports were followed by claims that he had turned down both and BILD say the same, stating that Koch turned down ‘lucrative offers’ from Newcastle, Manchester United and Bayer Leverkusen because he wanted Eintracht as his next club post Leeds.
That, it seems, was fuelled by his desire to be in the spotlight ahead of the European championships in Germany next year.
“You couldn’t miss what was developing in Frankfurt, also internationally,” BILD quote him saying.
“Barcelona spontaneously comes to mind as an example. I don’t think any footballer, anywhere in the world, has missed that.
“And you have seen that you can come back to the national team via Eintracht. That’s a big goal for me.”
