Leeds United supporters having to watch the players who effectively relegated them from the Premier League in Europe will always be a sore sight.
After dropping into the Championship in May 2023 Leeds lost eight players from their first team squad out on loan. Only two in Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober are back at Elland Road.
Aaronson was actually playing in the Champions League last season but made the decision very quickly over the summer he wanted to return.
Luis Sinisterra, Robin Koch, Marc Roca and Diego Llorente were the four able to secure permanent moves, leaving just Rasmus Kristensen and Jack Harrison.
Kristensen is now at Eintracht Frankfurt, while Harrison is seriously struggling at Everton, who could sign him permanently once their takeover goes through.
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What Leeds loanee Rasmus Kristensen did in Europa League for Frankfurt
Despite arguably being the worst player of the lot for Leeds, it was actually Kristensen shining on the European stage for Frankfurt on Thursday night.
Kristensen had the opportunity to return to Leeds in the summer like Aaronson and Wober, but instead opted for a move to Frankfurt.
With all due respect, it seems to be a decision benefitting all parties. Leeds fans were reluctant to see Kristensen comeback, while his start to life in Germany has drawn praise from Frankfurt’s sporting director.
On an individual level, he enjoyed his best game yet last night, as he registered both a goal and an assist in Frankfurt’s 3-3 draw to Viktoria Plzen.
Kristensen’s contribution had looked as though it won Frankfurt the game, as he was subbed off with the score at 3-1 on 85 minutes. However, his side somehow let the lead slip.
The Frankfurter Rundschau gave a very positive verdict on his display in their post-match player ratings piece.
They wrote: “Rasmus Kristensen: Great pass to Ekitiké before the 1-0, then even got on the scoresheet and made it 3-1. He was delighted about it.”
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Frankfurt want Kristensen permanently but on one condition
Regardless of how Kristensen performs in Germany there is no chance he ever returns to Leeds in the future after choosing to go on loan again.
Thankfully, Leeds were able to negotiate a future buy option in the deal which is likely to be activated if he continues this level of performance.
However, Frankfurt are already wanting to returning to the negotiating table about the fee which was previously agreed with Leeds.
Kristensen will have a year left on his deal at Elland Road next summer and so Frankfurt are keen to bring the permanent fee down.
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