According to reports, Manchester United is planning a surprise summer move for Leeds United defender Robin Koch as manager Erik ten Hag looks to bolster his defense in preparation for the upcoming campaign.
The 26-year-old German center back is reportedly on the verge of leaving Elland Road following the club's recent relegation, according to Sky Sports Germany writer Florian Plettenberg, who claims that the Red Devils have contacted them about a move for him.
A probable relegation provision in the former Freiburg player's contract has led to some speculation that he would be available on a free transfer; however, further reports indicate that a fee would be necessary for a transfer to take place. His current contract has just 12 months left to run.
Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider revealed: "News #Koch: He‘s on the shortlist of ManUtd! Loose talks took place. Confirmed. #MUFC."
It's possible that some Old Trafford supporters are perplexed by the surprising transfer rumor because it's difficult to understand the point of signing a player who undoubtedly contributed to Leeds' promotion to the Championship in 2022–2023.
The £40k per week failure, previously dubbed "horrible to watch" by journalist Beren Cross, was a member of a backline in Yorkshire that allowed 78 Premier League goals in the most recent season, the worst mark in the division.
Koch wasn't very impressive on an individual level; according to Sofascore, his average match rating was merely 6.63, placing him at 21st in Ten Hag's current team at the Theatre of Dreams.
The possibility of acquiring another player from the Championship may also raise some doubts at United, especially after the Red Devils' 2019 acquisition of Swansea City's Daniel James.
Although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and company ultimately turned a profit on that £15 million acquisition after ironically selling him to Leeds for £25 million in the summer of 2021, the wing wizard rarely displayed the talent necessary to succeed in Manchester, scoring just nine goals and handing out just nine assists in 74 games across all competitions.
James was simply "not a Manchester United player," according to talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, despite having somewhat of a "X-Factor" due to his astounding speed, in Solskjaer's opinion.
The 25-year-old, who was also referred to as "headless" by commentator Darren Bent, hasn't exactly created waves since leaving Old Trafford after scoring only four goals in 40 appearances for Leeds. He then endured a bit-part role on loan at Fulham in 2022–2023, appearing in just 23 games on both fronts.
With a Champions League campaign and potential championship push on the horizon, United must consider the prudence of looking to the Championship to discover fresh signings, such as Koch. However, this is not to imply that any move for a newly-relegated or second-tier player will prove to be a mistake.
In other news Rio Ferdinand, a former Manchester United player, thinks Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani has won the race to acquire the team.
Since late November, the chairman of the Qatar Islamic Bank has been negotiating with the Glazers to purchase the Old Trafford club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a rival bidder, must be beaten to Man United, and Ferdinand thinks he has.
By sharing what he has heard on the Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE YouTube channel, the former United defender predicts a takeover is about to occur.
"Man United takeover is imminent,” he said.
“We’re hearing the Qatari bid is the one which will be accepted.
“It is the one that is going to be accepted and it is the one that is going to go through”.
The Glazers are asking around £6 billion for their team, and Shiekh Jassim last week submitted his sixth and last offer.
The Old Trafford club must resolve its ownership disputes as soon as possible in order to establish a clear course of action as the summer transfer market is now open.
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, wants to improve his team so that it can contend for a trophy next season, but if a takeover is successful, he won't be able to start making big purchases.
The Red Devils' spending on transfers, wages, and coaches' and agents' fees is limited to no more than 90% of their total income due to financial constraints.
Last summer, they spent over £200 million, and early this year, finances made public revealed over £300 million in unpaid transfer costs.
As a result, their budget for this summer is more dependent on player sales than the takeover.
The fans are eagerly anticipating good news after hearing that a preferred bidder would be named this week. A takeover will be helpful.