Leeds slap £30m price tag on their best player this season
Leeds have placed a £30 million price tag on Crysencio Summerville, so they are not eager to lose any of their key players during the January transfer window.
Daniel Farke’s team had a terrible two games over the Christmas break and is currently fourth in the Championship.
Leeds’ commanding 4-0 victory over Ipswich Town at Elland Road gave the impression that they were ready to challenge for the automatic promotion slot.
However, they would lose their subsequent two Championship matches—one against Preston and the other against the Baggies by a score of 1-0.
They will be aiming for a strong second half of the season because promotion to the Premier League is on the line. They also don’t want to lose any of their best players in January.
Among them is Summerville, who has been outstanding this season with 12 goals and 6 assists.
Leeds reportedly placed a £30 million asking price on the table this month in an attempt to frighten off any prospective bidders, according to TeamTalk.
The Dutch player will be completely focused on this weekend’s trip to Cardiff, where his team will attempt to close the seven-point deficit to second place.
In other developments:
Following the collapse of contract negotiations between the defender and Leeds United, Eintracht Frankfurt has confirmed that they have agreed a pre-contract deal with Robin Koch, as reported by Phil Hay.
According to Hay, who broke the story via The Athletic on January 9, the Whites tried to recruit the 27-year-old to a new contract last season, but negotiations broke down as the prospect of Premier League relegation loomed.
Koch initially signed a pre-contract with Frankfurt in the summer, and when his Leeds United contract expires at the end of June, he will become a permanent member of the team. Koch joined Frankfurt on loan after Leeds was ultimately demoted to the Championship.
Not unexpected
Leeds United fans won’t be surprised that Koch was hesitant to accept a new contract at Elland Road during the team’s turbulent season the previous year.
It would have been challenging to persuade the player to sign a new contract, which would have probably prevented that option, given the clause in his contract that permitted him to leave on loan should the team be relegated.
Since moving to Frankfurt, Koch has flourished, starting all but four games—the four he missed because of a calf injury—and occasionally captaining the Bundesliga team.
With his departure being official and the information that he had no intention of staying with the Whites, fans can bid their farewells, move on with relative ease, and focus on players who are eager to don a Leeds United shirt and compete for the West Yorkshire team.
Leeds supporters may be eager for the team to pull off a Frankfurt/Koch move of their own and tie the Welshman down permanently as they look to replace their now-former defender. Daniel Farke has his players pushing for promotion. Joe Rodon, a loanee, has impressed so far this season.