Leeds United have agreed a deal to sign highly-rated centre-back Jaka Bijol from Udinese, according to transfer expertFabrizio Romano. The Whites will pay £18.7 million for the 26-year-old Slovenian international, who becomes the club’s second signing of the summer after Lukas Nmecha.
“Here We Go”: Leeds United Agree €22m Deal for Highly-Rated JakaBijol
What We Know So Far
Jaka Bijol has been one of Leeds’ top targets this summer, so they will be delighted to have reached an agreement with Udinese for the defender despite significant interest elsewhere. Premier League rivalsNewcastle reportedly launched an 11th-hour bid for the Slovenian, but were too late as terms had already been agreed with Daniel Farke’s side.
The 26-year-old will have his medical imminently, and all being well, a formal announcement is expected by the end of the week. According toSky Sports, strengthening the heart of defence was one of Leeds’ key priorities this summer, along with adding another striker and a first-choice goalkeeper.
Who is Jaka Bijol?
Bijol started his career with Rudar Velenje in his native Slovenia before moving to the Russian Premier League with CSKA Moscow, where he made 96 appearances across four seasons. After a brief loan stint at Hannover 96, the defender signed permanently for Serie A side Udinese back in 2022, where he has become one of Italy’s most consistent centre-halves.
The Slovenian, who offers significant aerial presence at 6’ 3” tall, has amassed a wealth of top-flight experience, making 90 Serie A appearances in his three seasons at Udinese. Bijol also boasts 63 international caps, and featured in all four of his country’s games at Euro 2024, where he was named in the best eleven of the tournament by stats experts WhoScored.
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Although utilised almost exclusively at centre-back by Udinese, the 26-year-old is also capable of playing in midfield, offering a similar tactical versatility to Leeds skipper Ethan Ampadu. Bijol is a strong, commanding defender who won 110 of his 163 aerial duels last season, and certainly doesn’t pull punches; he picked up 11 bookings in 34 Serie A appearances last season.
Where Will He Fit Into Leeds’ System?
Despite his relatively large transfer fee, Bijol is not a guaranteed starter for Daniel Farke’s side next season, as he will be competing with the highly impressive Joe Rodon, who also prefers to operate on the right of a centre-back pairing. However, with usual left-sided centre-back Pascal Struijk suffering several injuries in recent years, the Slovenian will bring much-needed depth in the heart of defence.
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Leeds had just three first-team centre-halves in their squad last season, and will likely part ways with Max Wober, who has played just 24 league games for Leeds since joining in January 2023. The arrival of Bijol, paired with Ethan Ampadu’s ability to play in defence, will give the Whites four Premier League-quality centre-backs to call upon, and could even see Daniel Farke experiment with a back three setup.
Last season, the three promoted sides conceded 80, 82, and 86 goals respectively, and Leeds will be desperate to buck this trend as they aim to re-establish themselves amongst England’s elite.