Daniel Farke
(Credit: Imago)
Niall Togher
Sun 17 August 2025 11:50, UK
Leeds United have had a high turnover of players in recent seasons, particularly following their relegation from the Premier League.
While Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison are examples of players who triggered clauses in their contracts to leave on loan before eventually returning, others have made permanent moves away.
Marc Roca was one of the players sold following their loan spell after United’s relegation back in 2023, with the Spaniard welcoming his former teammate Junior Firpo to the club this summer.
The players who have left West Yorkshire have had varying levels of success, but one defender looks to be thriving following his Elland Road exit.
Daniel Farke
Farke saw many players leave after he took over as Leeds boss (Credit: Imago)
Robin Koch named Eintracht Frankfurt captain for new campaign
Koch was a part of the disastrous Leeds defence that shipped 78 goals, the highest in the division, as Leeds finished 19th.
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Following the Whites’ relegation, Koch left on an initial loan deal to Bundesliga outfit Frankfurt, before returning to Germany permanently following the expiration of his contract at Leeds.
Koch started 36 games during the 2022/23 season as Leeds amassed just 31 Premier League points
Frankfurt finished third last season with Koch as key player for them in their Champions League qualification
Koch has impressed since the move and has even been involved in the Germany squad again as recently as June.
Frankfurt announced that the centre-back would be their new captain for the new Bundesliga season in a post shared on both the club’s and Koch’s personal Instagram accounts on 17 August.
This player merry-go-round could happen again next summer
Whilst the likes of Rob Green have tipped Leeds to stay up, this will be an almighty task, and the club hierarchy must ultimately have a plan in place if the club are relegated.
In 2023, it was a shambles, with loan clauses being the story of the summer as Leeds were unable to receive fees for multiple players, doing everything they could to exit Elland Road as quickly as possible.
Whilst players’ sales will be necessary if Leeds do go down, there will be a hope that such clauses have not been implemented in the contracts of new arrivals like Jaka Bijol this summer, with the ultimate hope that some may choose to stick around and fight for promotion.
The Premier League is getting harder and harder for promoted clubs to establish themselves in, and as frustrating as it may be, it may take Leeds a couple of attempts to get it right.
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