Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk have both wished Robin Koch well after it was confirmed the defender will join Eintracht Frankfurt on a permanent basis from Leeds United.
The 27-year-old joined the Whites after they had won promotion to the Premier League, and he would go on to make over 75 appearances for the Yorkshire outfit in all competitions over the next three years.
Koch‘s final season at Elland Road was a miserable one, as the team suffered relegation to the Championship. Like many of his teammates, the German international had a clause in his contract that allowed him to depart on loan, and a temporary switch was agreed in the summer for Koch to join Frankfurt. With the defender entering the final year of his contract at Elland Road, it was always likely that Koch had played his last game for Leeds, and
Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk react on Robin Koch’s leaving
Koch took to Instagram after the move was confirmed and received a response from two of his former teammates.
Right-back Ayling congratulated the centre-back on the move, adding’miss you’, while Struijk responded with ‘congrats’. While Leeds fans were dissatisfied with Koch and the other players who went on loan following relegation, this demonstrates that Koch was valued by those in the dressing room.
Even though his time in England ended tragically, Koch was a member of a Leeds team that made a magnificent return to the top division under Marcelo Bielsa, but the previous two years were spent fighting for survival.
Leeds United preparing for a hectic summer
Whether Leeds wins promotion this season or not, it will be a busy summer for the club as they attempt to reorganize the team, so it’s a good thing Koch‘s future is already set.
In the face of it, losing the defender on a free transfer is not good business, but the reality is that they were left in a tough position due to the loan clause in his contract, which was in place during the previous regime.
Fortunately for the Whites, the other loanees aren’t out of contract this summer, which means that important decisions will have to be made on the likes of Rasmus Kristensen, Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra of course, a lot is going to depend on whether Leeds are back in the Premier League, so it’s going to be a case of waiting and seeing what happens before these calls are made.
So, the only focus is on going up this season for Daniel Farke’s men, who are back in action at Cardiff this weekend.
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