What 6ft 4in £17m signing Stach will add to Leeds

Leeds United have signed Germany midfielder Anton Stach from Hoffenheim in a deal worth £17m.

The 26-year-old, who has two international caps, has joined on a four-year contract.

Stach becomes the sixth summer signing for Leeds, who were promoted to the Premier League after winning the Championship last season.

He follows Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Lukas Nmecha and Sean Longstaff in joining manager Daniel Farke's squad for the 2025-26 campaign.

"I am excited to join such a good team, such a good Premier League team, and I am looking forward to the next season," said Stach, who is 6ft 4in.

"My style of play, I would say I am an aggressive player. I am good in duels. I am good at anticipating passes from the opponents and it would be good for the Premier League. Now we will see, I will try my best."

Stach has previously played with compatriot Nmecha as the pair helped Germany win the European Under-21 Championship in 2021.

He added: "The biggest target is to stay in the league and personally just develop, adapt to the league, to the speed of course and then get many good experiences hopefully."

Stach left Mainz to join Hoffenheim in 2023 and made 71 appearances for the club in two seasons. He helped them avoid relegation from the Bundesliga last season as Hoffenheim finished 15th.

"Anton is an outstanding footballer who has consistently delivered good performances here at Hoffenheim over the past two seasons," said Hoffenheim sporting director Andreas Schicker.

"He's also a great person, always putting himself at the service of the team and contributing to our survival last season."