, Leeds United face transfer battle with Portuguese giants as both target Koch – price set

Leeds United face transfer battle with Portuguese giants as both target Koch – price set

German defender Robin Koch is one of many players that Leeds United have in their scouting database – 8079 at the last count. News of this came via an interview with Victor Orta by Graham Smyth and published in the Yorkshire Evening Post. However, Portuguese source A Bola say that the Whites have company in their ‘interest’ in the young defender.

One player mentioned in the interview, and quite specifically so, is SC Freiburg’s two-cap young German international Robin Koch. Koch is a centre-back and this position would be where a player replacement in that the Whites will lose Ben White at the end of this season. Such has been Whites’ level of consistency for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, a return to parent club Brighton is a shoo-in as will be big Premier League bids for him.

Koch left his hometown club FC Kaiserslautern in late August 2017 to join his current club, SC Freiburg, in a £3.6million deal. Since then, according to website Transfermarkt, his value has risen to £16.2million – a figure which puts him beyond the level of what Sky Bet Championship Leeds United can afford. There is no suggestion that Leeds are readying any particular interest in Koch but the young German is there, in the system, on the back-burner so-to-speak.

Perhaps, and teasingly so, Orta talks about the worth and value of the system that Leeds United have in place when it comes to scouting players. Commenting directly on this, Orta said: “I’ll give you an example, Koch playing at his level now is really difficult for the Championship, it is another level. But we are always evaluating because perhaps, in a moment, he could be available. Or we could get into another league and then he could be available.”

Leeds sit handily placed for such ‘another league’ with the 2nd-place position that they hold in the Sky Bet Championship at the moment. They have a two-point buffer to 3rd and a win today will keep up that promotion assault and see them maintain pressure on West Brom at the summit of the table.

Yet, Portuguese source A Bola say that Leeds United have company in their ‘interest’ in Koch with Benfica seeing the youngster as “one of the players identified” for next season “as a potential reinforcement.” A Bola’s article also sets out some finer details that might be of interest regarding Leeds United.

They say that the player himself wants “a salary of €2.5million” which is equivalent to £2.1million-per-year, or around £40,000-per-week. That figure would put the SC Freiburg defender at the very top end of Leeds United’s wage structure, although that is likely to stretch somewhat if Premier League promotion is achieved by the Whites.

A Bola also mention that Koch’s side want a fee of €17million/£14.2million to secure a deal but mention that Benfica “could lower the price if they decide to proceed to negotiations” which suggests that a lower price could be struck for the German international should a side be committed to wanting him.

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