Man United Hold Shock ‘Talks’ To Bring In Relegated Leeds Star With £80m

Man Utd are interested in signing Leeds defender Robin Koch this summer and have added him to their shortlist, according to reports.

The German centre-back played in the Premier League for three seasons with Leeds before the Yorkshire club was relegated to the Championship on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign.

And now it appears very likely that he will leave Leeds this summer as he attempts to stay at the top level with Newcastle, Arsenal and Chelsea all said to be interested.

A report in 90min last week claimed that Newcastle wanted to raid Leeds with Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Jack Harrison and Koch all on their radar.

But Koch could now make the controversial move to Man Utd with reliable Sky Sport Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg claiming that the Red Devils have added him to their ‘shortlist’.

Plettenberg adds that he has ‘confirmed’ that ‘loose talks’ have taken place as Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag looks to add depth to his backline.

England international Harry Maguire, who signed for the Red Devils in 2019 for £80m, looks set to leave this summer with rumours Victor Lindelof could also depart as he looks for regular first-team football.

Ten Hag’s preferred centre-back pairing is Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, when they are both fit, with Tottenham and other Premier League clubs linked to Maguire.

And CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs claims Maguire is set for a “meeting” with the club to see if his future lies away from Old Trafford or not.

Jacobs told The Done Deal Show: “We have to wait and see what Ten Hag wants to do with the player, it’s the same with Maguire, they’re going to have a meeting to see whether or not they will move forwards with Maguire.

“Ten Hag will inform Maguire that he is dropping down the pecking order and then Maguire will have to understand his role in the team or decide to leave. He’s quite a likely exit, finally, that one has credence to it.”

Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has warned Maguire not to choose a move to Tottenham with a lot of pressure for Spurs to perform next campaign.

Collymore told Caught Offside: “I’m not so sure about Maguire and Spurs. I think that they do need central defenders, Maguire has the name recognition and is a very good defender. He needs a fresh start and needs to leave Man United because he’s tainted goods there.

“Maybe Ange Postecoglou is the man in terms of his character to get into his head. It’s been mooted that Villa are interested and I think that would be a slightly better move for Maguire.

“Unai Emery is a bit more of an experienced coach at the top level. I think Villa need a central defender every bit as much as Spurs. If Ange doesn’t start well, the toxicity around the club would be the last thing that Maguire would need, and at Villa there’s the feel-good factor at the moment.

“He can help in the Conference League and Villa is a progressive, upwardly mobile, happy place.

“If the worst-case scenario happens, he will go from Man United where he’s been seen as the root cause of all the playing problems to Tottenham where if it doesn’t happen in the first 12 games for Postecoglou, there’ll be the ENIC out/Levy out brigade. I just think Villa will be better for him as a player and a human being.”