Rasmus Kristensen reveals what he needed from Leeds United to agree £10m RB Salzburg move

The defender flew out of Denmark's Nations League camp an RB Salzburg player and will fly back into it a Whites player, kind of. A deal in the region of £10m and a five-year contract are in place, awaiting final ratification on July 1 when international transfers can go through but it's as official as it needs to be.

Leeds were keen to get this one done, hot on the heels of the other signing from Salzburg Brenden Aaronson, so made a special request for the right-back to interrupt his international duty in order to come to West Yorkshire for medicals, paperwork and meetings with the media.

Marsch cut short a holiday in order to be at Elland Road to welcome his second summer signing, a gesture that will not have been lost on Kristensen.

When Leeds interjected to put themselves between the 24-year-old and Borussia Dortmund, who appeared set to sign him a few short weeks ago, he didn't need to hear much about the club, but he did need to feel something.

"When I heard about the opportunity I was really into it and it didn't take a lot of minutes to convince me that it was a good idea," he said.

"I don't think so much about options that are not concrete but when I heard about the option I was really thrilled.

"I just needed to meet with the people who are representing the options and then I want to hear the projects, but most of all, just meet the people who are making the decision and feel the energy and that's really important for me, that I feel welcome and wanted and I can see myself fit into the mentality and also the playing style."

Victor Orta made sure that Kristensen would get a feel for Leeds, sending him a video put together for transfer targets in order to showcase the atmosphere the supporters create, along with the city they inhabit and its culture. Essentially, the director of football has weaponised the fans as he does battle with other European clubs in the marketplace and it must have made an impression, because the new boy spoke of the Leeds 'aura' in his first interviews on Wednesday.

Kristensen already had a good deal of knowledge, though. As a Dane he grew up in a country with a healthy Leeds United following and he has international team-mates plying their trade in the Premier League who could fill him in on what he might be getting himself into. He already knew about the history and the stature of the club, but was told by those who would know that Elland Road is the best place to play, unless you're an opposition player.

In signing him, Leeds have made a boyhood dream a reality.

"I mean, in general the Premier League, for me, is The Godfather of football, it's where football was invented and it's a dream come true to be able to play in the Premier League," he told the YEP.

"It has always been the dream. It's the best league in the world and to get a foot in here is unbelievable."

The club's all too recently safeguarded top flight status ticked one box but so too did the identity of the boss Kristensen will work for. The pair have spoken on a number of occasions as the deal has been put together and it's so easy to picture and hear Marsch filling Kristensen with belief that he will fit in just fine at Leeds.

There is evidently a debt of gratitude that Kristensen feels he owes to Marsch, for helping to put his dreams back on track in the Austrian Bundesliga after a frustrating time at Ajax.

"For the team [Ajax] it went great," said the defender.

"For myself, I think I was decent. I was young at the time and I didn' fit that well into the style of play. That's what I was searching for and I found it at Salzburg. I hope I can continue that here.

"Salzburg is a family club and they're incredible with player development. This whole procedure I've been a part of, I think that's maybe the main reason that I'm here today - I came to the right club at the right time and developed my game in a good direction and became a football player that some people think is good enough for the Premier League.

"Jesse was the one who brought me to Salzburg and I kind of needed a little bit of a rebuild. He specifically gave me a lot of confidence.With Jesse I evolved my game and became a better football player so I have a really good relationship with him and it's a big part of my decision to join him. He made me believe in myself again after I lost that a little bit at Ajax and I think that changed things for me because I feel like I have qualities, the physique, but sometimes the mental part is so important, especially as a young player. But now I'm grown up, I'm an adult and ready to go."

Grown is certainly one word for him. Kristensen is built like a brick outhouse. He has a presence that helped him attack corners for Salzburg. He believes it's one of the keys to fitting into Marsch's system at full-back.

"[He asks for] aggression, physique, a lot of runs up and down, defensively stable and willing to go forward," said Kristensen, whose offensive ability brought 10 goals from right-back last season.

Attacking and defending against Premier League quality might be a different story. He's confident, though.

"That's what I'm searching for, like a challenge at that level," he said.

"The difference will of course be the quality, that's for sure. And then also the tempo and the speed of the game of course, the individual quality of the opponents, a big factor. But I've tested myself in the Champions League in some of those perspectives and yeah, I mean, I also develop my game a lot in that case, so I feel like I have the feeling I'm ready for the challenge. I have the most respect for the quality in this league but I hope I can manage that."

He went to Salzburg to find himself again, play in the Champions League and win some trophies - three each of the Bundesliga and Austrian Cup titles suggest he was successful.

He's coming to Leeds to achieve his dream.

"The project with Jesse and the direction the club is heading, being back in the Premier League and also just with the playing style, with the mentality, with everything, I feel like I fit right in and I feel like I already feel at home," he said.

"I want my best years of my career to be here in Leeds who will also have some of the best years.

"That's my goal. That's my aim and I have a good feeling about it."