Manchester United are ‘eyeing up a shock move for relegated Leeds defender’

Manchester United are reportedly considering a surprise move for Leeds defender Robin Koch.

Expected to be active throughout the summer transfer window, the Red Devils have already been linked with dozens of players as Erik ten Hag looks to rebuild his squad.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund and West Ham’s Declan Rice have all been tipped for big-money moves to Old Trafford.

However, United fans may be shocked to see the next name linked with a potential move to the club this summer.

According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sport Germanythe Red Devils have had ‘loose talks’ with Leeds defender Robin Koch.

Erik ten Hag is keen to strengthen his defensive options during the summer transfer window

The report claims the German star is on United’s shortlist as they prepare for the summer market.

The 26-year-old was a prominent player in the Leeds side last season, making 36 appearances as the Yorkshire club were eventually relegated on the final day.

It is clear that Koch’s expiring contract – due to expire next season – could be reason for Leeds to cash in on the Germany international this summer.

Ten Hag is keen to bolster his defensive options in the coming period, with Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae also strongly linked to a move to United.

Captain Harry Maguire was also expected to leave during the summer spell – with Tottenham interested in his services.

Germany international Koch joined from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2020 and has become an integral part of their side.

With 77 appearances in all competitions over his three seasons at Elland Road, the 26-year-old has proved invaluable in defense.

He also made eight appearances for the German national side, although his last appearance came in a 1-1 friendly against Denmark in 2021.

Koch has made 77 appearances for the Yorkshire side since joining from SC Freiburg in 2020

In their other transfer cases, United suffered a huge blow after it was revealed that Atalanta would demand an amount of their club record transfer fee for striker Rasmus Hojlund ‘well in advance’.

Manchester United will keep increasing their interest with a bid for the highly rated Denmark international, while Chelsea remain in the wings.

However, Mail Sport understands that the Italian club met earlier this week when it was decided they would demand nearly £86 million (100 million euros) for the 20-year-old, who still has four years left on his contract.

Hojlund recently signed a short-term representation agreement with agency SEM, which also represents Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.