placeholder image
Getty Images
Leeds United have completed the signing of a reported Newcastle United target.
Sky Sport Switzerland claimed last week that Newcastle were considering hijacking a move just as Leeds looked to close out a £15million deal.
It has taken around a week but the newly-promoted Premier League club have finalised a transfer with the Slovenian putting pen to paper on a five-year contract.
The 26-year-old underwent his medical last Wednesday while discussions continued at club level. A fee was agreed over the weekend but the final paperwork was only completed on Monday ahead of the club’s announcement.
Leeds United confirm Jaka Bijol signing - reveal interest from other clubs
In a statement, Leeds claimed there were “a number of clubs vying for his signature”.
“Leeds United are delighted to announce that Jaka Bijol has joined the club from Italian side Udinese for an undisclosed fee,” a club statement read. “The towering central defender has put pen to paper on a five-year deal, committing his future at Elland Road until 2030.
“The 26-year-old makes the move from the Serie A club after enjoying a stellar season in Italy, where he made 37 appearances across all competitions during the last campaign, scoring twice.
“Beginning his career with Rudar Velenje in his homeland, Bijol joins the Whites with a wealth of experience from stints in Russia and Germany, before then linking up with Udinese in 2022.
“Showing his versatility by originally plying his trade as a defensive midfielder, the Slovenian switched to what has become a familiar role in the heart of defence prior to joining Le Zebrette, with whom he made almost 100 appearances, taking his club total to over 250 matches.
“Included within those, our new arrival has also played in both the Champions League and Europa League, bringing further top-level experience to Daniel Farke’s side.
“As well as at club level, Jaka has impressed on the international stage throughout his career, earning 63 caps for Slovenia since making his debut aged 19 in 2018.
“The defender played every minute for his country in their run to the Round of 16 at last summer’s European Championships, notably helping the side keep a clean sheet against England in the group stage.
“With a number of clubs vying for his signature, we now welcome our second signing of the summer to West Yorkshire and we all now look forward to seeing Jaka play at Elland Road.”
Newcastle United centre-back search
Signing a central defender is a priority for Newcastle this summer. Sven Botman is the only Newcastle centre-back under the age of 30, though he has suffered from various knee issues during the last two campaigns. Jamaal Lascelles also missed the whole of last season with an ACL injury, meaning United were fortunate Fabian Schar and Dan Burn managed to remain injury-free.
Eddie Howe’s side retain a strong interest in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who they tried to sign last summer, but are expected to face competition from Premier League rivals Liverpool once Jarell Quansah’s move to Bayer Leverkusen is confirmed.
Meanwhile, there are reports in Italy that United could target another Serie A centre-back in the form of Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini. The 21-year-old has made 109 appearances for Atalanta since his debut in 2021 and was part of the team that won the Europa League last year.
Continue Reading