Manchester United hold initial talks to sign 26-year-old Germany international: Reports

Manchester United have held preliminary talks over the signing of Leeds United's German defender Robin Koch, according to Sky Deutschland journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Red Devils have set their sights on signing a new central defender ahead of the 2023-24 season. They have identified Napoli star Kim Min-jae as their top target for the position, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Kim has a €60 million release clause in his contract with the Serie A champions that will be active from July 1-15. Manchester United reportedly intend to trigger the clause as soon as it becomes active. However, they face competition from Bayern Munich for the South Korean.

Meanwhile, AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi is also a player of interest to the Premier League giants. The Old Trafford outfit view the Frenchman as an alternative to Kim, according to Romano. Disasi, for his part, is open to moving to Manchester this summer.

Koch, 26, is the latest defender to be linked with a move to Manchester United. According to Plettenberg, the Leeds star is on the Red Devils' shortlist and initial talks have already taken place.

The central defender joined Leeds from German club SC Freiburg for €13 million in 2020. He has since made 77 appearances across competitions for the Yorkshire-based club. Koch also has eight caps for the Germany national team.

The German is among a host of players who are expected to leave Leeds after they dropped down to the Championship. German daily BILD recently claimed that the defender has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave for free in the event that the Whites suffer relegation. However, those reports have since been dismissed by LeedsLive.

Manchester United, though, could still sign the Germany international for a cut-price deal as his contract runs out next year.

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How did Manchester United target Robin Koch fare in his last game for Leeds?

Robin Koch played 39 games across competitions for Leeds United in the 2022-23 campaign. His last appearance for the team came in their 4-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in their final Premier League game of the season. The German displayed his versatility by playing as a defensive midfielder alongside Adam Forshaw.

Although Leeds suffered a convincing defeat, Koch was one of the better players for the Whites. The former Freiburg star made one clearance and four tackles. He also won 11 of the 19 duels he competed in, with no player across both teams faring better.

Koch had 55 touches of the ball and lost possession 15 times. He completed 29 passes with 73% accuracy and played two key passes as well. However, the Germany international missed one big chance.