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‘Leeds sound confident’ – Phil Hay reveals club stance on second European transfer

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Leeds United’s pursuit of German defender Robin Koch has been handed a boost as it’s revealed that he’s keen on a move away from Freiburg and the deal is very affordable.

Since Ben White’s loan deal finished, Leeds’ priority in the transfer market was immediately on trying to bring him back to the club on a permanent basis, however, that failed with Brighton standing firm.

The pressure is now on the club to turn their attention elsewhere to ensure Marcelo Bielsa has adequate depth at the back before the window shuts.

With White out of the picture at Elland Road now, the main target that has surfaced is one-time German international and Freiburg mainstay Robin Koch.

Having been linked with the club for a number of weeks, offers for Koch have remained on the backburner while we find out the answer on White’s future but now the door is open for a swoop for the 24-year-old German.

There is no report of a concrete bid from the club to try sign Koch, however, The Athletic’s Phil Hay provided this update on how the club view their chances of bringing him to West Yorkshire this transfer window:

With the transfer of Rodrigo Moreno all but sealed, this transfer might start to gather some pace in the coming days.

Like most Leeds fans, seeing White not return was gut-wrenching after such an amazing season. However, just like Bielsa transformed him from relative obscurity to being on the verge of the England squad this season, I have faith that Koch could follow a similar trajectory.

Being named in the recent Germany squad is proof that Koch isn’t some random name plucked from Europe to fill the gap, but a genuinely good defender who can operate in midfield too, and has an eye for a pass.

A reported fee of £10million also makes it a much easier deal to complete than White ever was, so there’s no reason why this should be presented as a worse deal. 

It’s quite clear that English players come with a seriously hiked-up valuation and it might be wiser for the club to turn their attention to the continent for players just as good, if not better, for a fraction of the price.

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Leeds United season ticket holder since 2013/14, currently situated in the middle of the FA5 noise. From Pablo Hernandez to 5-1 drubbings, I've seen it all at Elland Road.