Newly-promoted Premier League side Leeds United are reportedly lining up a move for German centre-back Robin Koch. The 24-year-old central defender currently plays for Freiburg in the Bundesliga.
As per The Telegraph, the Whites are looking to sign Koch, as it is unlikely that they will be able to re-sign Brighton’s Ben White. The Seagulls want something in the range of £30 million for White.
Recent reports have indicated that Tottenham are also reportedly interested in signing the German, who looks set to leave the club after three seasons.
The German international, who earned his first international cap last year, has just a year remaining on his current contract at Freiburg.
Koch has been with the German club since 2017, having joined from Kaiserslautern for around €3.5 million.
Robin Koch – A solid addition to Leeds United?
Leeds United no longer have any hopes of signing centre-back Ben White, who was exceptional for them last year. The 22-year-old was ever-present in the Leeds team, playing every minute of every game in the Championship.
(Photo by RONALD WITTEK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
With Brighton pricing Leeds out of a deal to bring him back to Elland Road, Leeds have now moved on to other targets.
Robin Koch is the latest to be linked with a move to Leeds, after a solid season with Freiburg in Bundesliga. The German is a hard-tackling, no-nonsense central defender, who likes to get stuck in and disrupt play from the back.
The 6’3″ centre-back is very good in the air, winning an average of 3.6 aerial balls in the 2019-20 league season. He is also good on the ground, making an average of 1.4 interceptions thanks to his ability to read the game well from the back.
Koch is solid defensively, taking charge of situations and clearing the ball in dangerous situations. The defender is pretty solid passer of the ball, building attacks with short and long passes. He averaged 4.3 long balls per game in the Bundesliga last season, while also completing 83.7% of all his passes.
The 24-year old, who has also played as a defensive midfielder, could slot in alongside Leeds United captain Liam Cooper in the backline, and the duo could complement each other well.
Robin Koch is a defender who possesses qualities that Marcelo Bielsa wants in his players, and he could make a big impact next season if he signs for the club.
Stats via Whoscored
