Hoffenheim chief breaks silence on €20m Anton Stach Leeds United transfer as player request detailed
The towering midfielder officially swapped Hoffenheim for Leeds United on Tuesday.
Hoffenheim sporting director Andreas Schicker admits he’d love to have kept Anton Stach but the ‘outstanding’ midfielder made clear his desire to join Leeds United.
Stach’s €20million (£17.4m) transfer from Hoffenheim was confirmed on Tuesday morning with the 6ft 4ins midfielder signing a four-year contract at Elland Road. He has already joined up with Daniel Farke’s squad ahead of two pre-season friendlies in Germany, having undergone medical tests on Monday.
After his move was confirmed, Stach admitted it was a ‘dream’ to play in the Premier League and spoke glowingly of the post-promotion celebratory scenes he was shown by Leeds chiefs. And having convinced the player of a move, Schicker admits recruitment chiefs were then able to offer an ‘attractive’ financial package to his side.
"Anton is an outstanding footballer who has consistently delivered good performances here at Hoffenheim over the past two seasons,” Schicker told Hoffenheim’s website following confirmation of the move. “He's also a great person, always putting himself at the service of the team and contributing to our survival last season.
"For this reason, we would have loved to continue working with Anton. But he has now approached us with the request to leave the club and join Leeds United in the Premier League. He sees that as his next step in his career, which is why we began negotiations with Leeds.
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“Ultimately, in addition to Anton's wishes, the attractive overall financial package led us to ultimately approve the transfer. We wish Anton all the best for his future and, of course, much success in England."
Stach is now working alongside Farke and his new teammates in Germany and will likely make his non-competitive debut during one of Leeds’ behind-closed-doors friendlies, before flying into the UK as a Premier League player. The 26-year-old joins £15m Newcastle United academy graduate Sean Longstaff in completing yet another important midfield evolution at Elland Road.
Leeds United transfer latest after Anton Stach deal confirmed
Leeds now have five first-team options in midfield and a defensive unit strengthened by the arrivals of Jaka Bijol, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Sebastiaan Bornauw. Lukas Nmecha has added physicality upfront, with Patrick Bamford not in Germany and informed he will not be part of Farke’s plans.
Farke does still hope to land three first-team signings, one of which will join Nmecha in the No.9 pecking order. Leeds have already seen a £32m bid for Rodrigo Muniz rejected by Fulham but he remains a target, with hope developments at Craven Cottage could open the door for a move down the line.
Leeds are also in the market for a marquee addition at left-wing, following Manor Solomon’s return to parent club Tottenham Hotspur. The Whites remain in the mix for Feyenoord’s Brazilian star Igor Paixão despite reports Marseille are pushing hard to get a deal over the line.
And finally, Farke is still in need of a first-choice goalkeeper with Illan Meslier looking more likely to leave than not. After that, Elland Road chiefs will remain active with greater depth needed across the board.