For the second season running, Leeds United have found themselves facing a real scrap for survival heading into the final few weeks of the season, with there currently little to separate the bottom nine clubs in the division.

A major issue for the Whites since their return to the Premier League just under three years ago has been their struggles defensively, with the Elland Road outfit having shipped 44 goals already this season - the fifth-worst record in the league - after previously conceding 79 goals last term.

That dismal recent record could ultimately prove costly for the Yorkshire side if they do slip back into the second tier, with the club set to be left to rue their transfer dealings of late which have contributed to those woes.

A key figure in that shaky backline has been that of Germany international, Robin Koch, with the 26-year-old - who was signed from Bundesliga side Freiburg for a fee of around £13m back in 2020 - having struggled to convince since being snapped up by Marcelo Bielsa.

How much is Robin Koch worth now?

In truth, it may well be that Bielsa and co had something of a nightmare with regard to their signing of the eight-cap dud, with Koch now said to be worth as little as €7m (£6m), according to CIES Football Observatory, with just over a year left to run on his existing deal.

That lowly figure represents a decrease of around 54% from that £13m fee that was paid to bring the versatile centre-back to the Premier League, with such a drop in valuation hardly pointing to astute business for the Leeds hierarchy.

The Kaiserslautern native was reportedly put on the transfer list last summer with the club ready to accept a fee of around £10-£11m to sanction his sale, although it would now appear that the struggling defender could be moved on for even less this time around.

Somewhat bizarrely, despite the £40k-per-week man having been branded "horrible to watch" by reporter Beren Cross, there is said to be interest in his services from Tottenham Hotspur, with that set to prove an opportune time to part ways ahead of next season.

While Koch may well have suffered due to his ability to feature in a variety of positions - having been branded a "utility player" by ex-Leeds defender Danny Mills - the 6 foot 4 brute has rarely convinced when he has been deployed in his preferred, centre-back berth.

Those woes are laid bare by the fact that he ranks in just the bottom 7% among his European peers for pass completion to illustrate his ball-playing difficulties, while the towering asset also ranks in just the top 45% for tackles made and the top 40% for interceptions, having also been something of a liability defensively.

In truth, no matter if Javi Gracia's men are able to stave off the drop or not, Leeds should think about moving on Koch while they can still at least recoup a fee, even if it would represent a disappointing loss on their initial investment.