Leeds United are closing in on the signing of SC Freiburg defender Robin Koch, according to reports.
The Whites, who will kick-off their Premier League campaign in a little over two weeks time when they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool, are desperate to bolster their central-defensive options following Ben White's return to Brighton & Hove Albion.
White spent the whole of last season on loan at Elland Road and proved to be one of the club's stand-out performers over the course of the campaign, as the Whites scooped the Championship title.
Though Leeds have been closely linked with re-signing the former Newport County star, that wish now appears to be dead and buried, with the player's agent admitting that Brighton will not sell him to Leeds.
However, Leeds do not appear to have always been confident of bringing White back to West Yorkshire, with the club having been closely tracking the developments of SC Freiburg defender Koch for several months.
The 24-year-old, who has already made his international bow for Germany, is highly-rated by Marcelo Bielsa and it is claimed that Leeds are very close to striking a £13m agreement with Freiburg to secure his signature.
Though there is understandably a tinge of disappointment amongst the Whites fan base that White is not poised to return, with the defender having proven so popular last season, Koch seems like a very exciting replacement, certainly for a much cheaper fee.
With a deal now edging closer towards being concluded, here is what some Leeds fans on social media have had to say in response to the news.
