Eintracht Frankfurt have confirmed they have reached a pre-contract agreement with Robin Koch which will see the defender join the Bundesliga club permanently when his Leeds United deal expires at the end of June.
The Athletic reported on Monday that Eintracht and Koch had agreed terms to extend his loan spell beyond the end of this season, with the 27-year-old able to speak to foreign clubs about a future move on January 1 as he entered the final six months of his Leeds deal. He has now signed a deal with Eintracht until 2027.
Koch joined Eintracht on loan from Leeds in the summer, following the West Yorkshire side’s relegation to the Championship.
“I am very satisfied with the first half of the year at Eintracht, I have a lot of fun every day and feel incredibly comfortable here,” Koch said. “Everything is as I had hoped. Therefore, it is the logical consequence for me and my career that I extend my contract beyond the loan period.
“I want to continue to move forward here with responsibility and, above all, be successful. We still have a lot to do and I am very confident that we will achieve our goals. I’m really looking forward to the future and an exciting second half of the season.”
Koch joined Leeds following their Premier League promotion in 2020 and made 77 first-team appearances for the club — including 66 starts in the top flight over three seasons. Leeds paid around £12million ($15.3m) to sign him from Bundesliga side Freiburg.
Koch was signed as a de facto replacement for Ben White, who had starred in the club’s successful promotion campaign on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Attempts from Leeds to sign Koch to a new deal last season stalled with Leeds at risk of dropping back into the Championship.
Koch’s contract at Leeds included a clause — which was activated last summer — allowing him to depart on loan if the club were relegated from the Premier League, with his departure easing the club’s wage bill.
The Germany international has been a regular at Eintracht, starting all but four matches before the winter break and only missing those due to a calf injury. Koch has also captained Eintracht on occasion.
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