'Deal agreed' for £7m Leeds United summer exit as profit explained — YEP 4/3/25
By Kyle Newbould
Leeds United look set to wave goodbye to another who
activated his relegation release clause.
Rasmus Kristensen looks set to leave Leeds United
permanently this summer with reports suggesting a deal has been agreed with
loan club Eintracht Frankfurt.
Kristensen joined Frankfurt on loan for the season last
summer, triggering his relegation release clause for the second time following
the previous campaign’s spell at AS Roma. Only he and Jack Harrison, who
re-joined Everton, had the power to do so.
Bundesliga club Frankfurt initially agreed to a purchase
option believed to have been worth around £12million but despite Kristensen’s
impressive form, multiple reports from Germany have suggested that fee would
have to come down. And it appears Leeds are happy to oblige, with Sky Germany’s
Florian Plettenberg reporting a deal has been ‘agreed in principle’ at around
half price.
Kristensen transfer ‘agreed’
Plettenberg states Frankfurt ‘will sign’ Kristensen
permanently this summer after ‘positive renegotiations’ with Leeds, who have
verbally accepted an initial €6m (£5m) fee with a further €2m (£1.6m) of
possible add-ons taking to total deal up to almost £7m. The Danish right-back
is set to sign a long-term contract until ‘at least’ 2029.
Full confirmation of the deal is not likely to come any time
soon but with an agreement in place and all parties seemingly keen on a deal,
Kristensen’s Leeds career looks to be over. All in all, he made 30 appearances
for the Whites during their 2022/23 Premier League relegation campaign.
Kristensen struggled at Roma but looks to have found a home
at Frankfurt, where he is playing alongside former Leeds teammate Robin Koch.
The 27-year-old has been one of the Bundesliga club’s most consistent
performers, playing 21 of their 24 league games and playing a major part in
their push for Champions League football.
Kristensen profit explained
Kristensen was one of several former RB Salzburg players to
join Leeds under Jesse Marsch, with the right-back costing around £11m in June
2022. He penned a five-year contract at Elland Road, essentially allowing the
club to amortise - or spread out the cost of - his transfer fee over that
period.
In essence, Leeds tied themselves down to paying around
£2.15m each year for the duration of Kristensen’s contract, which come summer
will be three years in. Elland Road chiefs will therefore have paid off around
£6.5m when it comes to their accounts, meaning any future sale above £4.5m
would, at least in terms of profitability and sustainability rules, mean profit
is made.
Should Plettenberg’s reported fee be correct, then Leeds
will have guaranteed they at least break even on Kristensen and even report a
small profit in accounting terms, while any future bonus payments will go down
as profit, thanks to that amortisation process. His exit will leave just three
of the six players who exercised release clauses in summer 2023 linked with the
club.
Harrison will remain at Everton for the season but it is
unclear where his future lies, given the Merseyside club have signed multiple
wingers since his return. Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober both decided to stay
and fight for promotion under Daniel Farke last summer.