Robin Koch sends emotional message to Leeds United supporters | OneFootball

Robin Koch has penned a statement to Leeds United fans after his loan move to Eintracht Frankfurt was upgraded to a permanent deal, which will take place at the end of the season.

The German joined Leeds three years ago, and whilst he underwent a strong first season under Whites' hero Marcelo Bielsa, playing styles and a lack of defensive nous saw the Whites fall foul to relegation after three seasons in the top-flight.

He was swiftly loaned out to Frankfurt in his native Germany as the Elland Road outfit looked to cut costs following their return to the Championship after a three-year hiatus; though that has now turned into a permanent move after impressing back in the Bundesliga. And Koch has penned an emotional statement to fans with his time in England coming to an end.

The former Germany international penned his thoughts on Twitter, posting: "My time in Leeds was one of the best & most important in my life. I gained valuable experience for my career & my life & made many new friends.

"I will always have very positive memories of the whole club & will always keep my fingers crossed. Thanks for everything - all the best!"

How Robin Koch fared at Leeds United

Koch was a highly heralded centre-back through his time in Germany, rising to prominence over a three-year spell at Freiburg where he made his debut for the national team and featured at Euro 2020 whilst at Leeds.

The 27-year-old featured heavily for Leeds in his three years at the club, with 73 Premier League appearances under the reign of Marcelo Bielsa, Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce - but his efforts did fall in vein after Leeds’ relegation at the end of last season.

Leeds did have the second-worst defence and the worst defence in 2021/22 and 2022/23 combined, which Koch won’t take many positives from - but he has picked up his national team form whilst at Frankfurt, with the German giants only losing three games from 14 whilst he manned the backline.

Even becoming captain for one game in a 3-1 win at Hoffenheim, Koch has been a man reborn in his home nation and with Leeds likely to receive a strong fee for his services, it’s a deal that suits all parties.

The Whites started the season poorly which led some fans to question why a plethora of defenders including Koch, Max Wober and Marc Roca had been loaned out of the club in favour of saving wages instead of keeping some to mount a serious promotion bid, much like Leicester had done.

But with the current crop of players stepping up slowly throughout the season, the need for any of the loaned out stars became less apparent. Koch's move to Frankfurt will give Leeds much needed funds to either bolster the squad or to save for a rainy day, and that's without the sales of Wober, Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and more.

There are plenty of saleable assets in their ranks and Koch's absence likely won't be felt, even if play-offs are achieved and not automatic promotion.