Leeds United transfer target reveals Premier League ambition with move in the works
Leeds United transfer target Jaka Bijol says he has lots of room for improvement but consistency is a strength.
A move for the 6ft 4ins centre-back is in the works but not yet complete and if Leeds can come to a final agreement with Serie A side Udinese it will tick off one of Bijol's list of career ambitions.
The Slovenian international has played 95 games for Udinese, adding to the 96 he played for CSKA Moscow in Russia's top flight and a combined 61 appearances for Hannover 96 and NK Rudar Velenje in his native country's top flight. At international level he is vastly experienced with 63 caps. His performances for Udinese last season as they finished in midtable led to suggestions that both Inter and AC Milan were keen on adding him to their squads.
Leeds target’s Premier League ambition
But speaking on The Italian Football Podcast five months ago, Bijol revealed that he harboured ambitions to play not only in the Champions League but in England's top flight.
"For sure, I have ambitions to play in the Champions League and to play in the Premier League," he said. "I have an ambition to do that and I hope it comes."
The central defender, whose height and aerial prowess would tick a box for Leeds as they seek to be strong in both boxes when it comes to set-pieces, believes that his greatest strengths lie in his leadership and concentration, which helps build consistency.
"I like to think that I can help my team-mates a lot," he said. "And I like to help my team-mates to be the best version of themselves. And I like just to stay focused, the concentration in every game, and to give you all every game. This is the thing that I strive to do and to be as consistent as possible through the years. And I think that for a defender, this is one of the most important things that you can do, you can be consistent and really concentrated for every game and to give it your best."
There are areas in which he believes he can get better, though. "There are a lot of things that I can improve on as the years go, with the coaches that help you build on your game and help you improve in a lot of little stuff that you still can improve,” he added.
Bijol, who was previously named by a number of Udinese team-mates as the strongest and 'hardest' member of the Stadio Friuli dressing room, also said that he liked to think he was in the conversation.