How Leeds United still expect to make profit on Rasmus Kristensen despite new cut-price transfer reports — YEP 13/2/25
By Joe Donnohue
According to various reports, Eintracht Frankfurt hope to
make Rasmus Kristensen's loan move from Leeds United a permanent switch this
summer.
The Danish international signed a five-year deal at Elland
Road ahead of what proved to be Leeds' most recent Premier League campaign but
has spent the past two seasons on loan at AS Roma and Bundesliga club Eintracht
Frankfurt.
Reports in Germany, corroborated by The Athletic, claim
Eintracht are keen to make the Dane's stay a permanent one after negotiating a
buy option in his loan agreement last summer. However, the Bundesliga outfit
reportedly intend to spend less than the pre-agreed purchase option, believed
to be around £12 million.
Kristensen's arrival from FC Red Bull Salzburg cost Leeds
approximately £11 million. A common accounting practice by football clubs is to
amortise, or spread out, the cost of an asset's transfer fee - in this case a
player - over the length of their contract.
Given Kristensen signed for five years, Leeds have been able
to amortise roughly £2.15 million each season since his 2022 arrival. This
means Leeds will have amortised £6.5 million of Rasmus Kristensen's summer 2022
transfer fee by the end of the 2024/25 season, meaning any future sale above
the £4.5 million mark will see the club report a profit on the player, at least
from an accounting perspective.
This figure is likely to be the lowest United would consider
for a player who has two years remaining on his Elland Road deal. Kristensen's
market value can reasonably be expected to be north of £5 million after
consecutive seasons playing regularly in three of Europe's top five leagues.
The club are not in a position, financially, where a Kristensen sale is
absolutely necessary which strengthens United's hand in negotiations, but a
permanent switch would likely benefit all parties.
Kristensen is one of four remaining players still contracted
to Leeds who exercised loan escape clauses following relegation from the top
flight. Jack Harrison, into his second season on loan with Everton, is another
for whom an Elland Road return appears uncertain once 2024/25 comes to a close.
Last summer, Leeds sealed permanent exits for Marc Roca,
Diego Llorente and Robin Koch, while Brenden Aaronson elected to return to
United and has played a major role in the Whites' push for promotion. Max Wober
has also remained at Elland Road this year, although his contributions have
been limited due to an ongoing knee problem.