Leeds United player earning "rave reviews" could leave Elland Road permanently | OneFootball

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Eintracht Frankfurt are already putting plans in place to make Robin Koch's loan move from Leeds United permanent.

That's according to a report from German outlet SportBILD, via Sport Witness, who say the centre back has been earning "rave reviews" with his performances for the Bundesliga club.

How did things go for Koch at Leeds?

Koch joined Leeds back in the summer of 2020 following the club's promotion back to the Premier League, signing from another German top-flight side, Frieburg, for a reported £13million.

The Germany international was hampered by injuries at times during his stint at Elland Road, but he still managed to make 79 appearances in all competitions for the Whites.

Indeed, the 27-year-old was arguably one of Leeds' more defensively reliable performers when he fit and available to play.

Even so, he was unable to prevent the club from suffering relegation from the Premier League back to the Championship, at the end of last season.

Following that drop down a division, Koch was one of a number of players to leave Leeds on loan during the summer transfer window, thanks to a clause that could be triggered in his contract, in the event of relegation.

That move saw the defender return to his native Germany to link up with Frankfurt on a temporary basis, although it seems the Bundesliga club are already aiming to make that move a longer-term one.

What are Frankfurt's transfer plans for Robin Koch?

Since making the move to Frankfurt, Koch has made seven appearances in all competitions for his loan club.

That includes playing every minute of their four Bundesliga games so far this season, where he has helped them to one win and three draws, putting them ninth in the early standings.

With the centre back impressing during that time, this latest update now states that Frankfurt are considering a plan to make Koch's loan move permanent, when his temporary deal with the club comes to an end next summer.

It is thought that Frankfurt believe the Leeds loanee is part of a squad they can make a sizeable profit on further down the line, and they are therefore keen to secure those assets quickly, to avoid the risk of losing them for free, as they have done with the likes of Daichi Kamada and Evan Ndicka in recent times.

Currently, Koch's contract with Leeds is due to expire next summer, meaning he could leave the club permanently on a free transfer at the end of this season, as things stand.

Would it be a blow to lose Koch permanently for Leeds?

It would feel like something of a source of frustration for Leeds if they were to lose Koch for free on a permanent deal this summer.

The centre back showed he can be a useful asset throughout his time at Elland Road, suggesting he could have had a part to play in Daniel Farke's side had he stayed.

More pertinent than that though, is the fact that his contract situation means they could be set to lose him for free next summer, at a time when Frankfurt feel they can make a decent profit on him.

That suggests Leeds may therefore be about to miss out on a useful windfall that could have been reinvested in their squad, which does add some considerable insult to injury here.