'I feel ready' - £17m defensive warrior sends out transfer alert after Leeds United 'contact'
Leeds United have been linked with interest in Jaka Bijol.
Reported Leeds United target Jaka Bijol has already appeared to hint he is ready to leave Udinese this summer amid links to Elland Road.
Italian outlet Tuttomercato claimed Leeds are ‘ready to make a decisive move’ for Bijol, who has emerged as one of Serie A’s most impressive defenders since joining Udinese in 2022. The Slovenian international is thought to be valued around €20million (£16.9m) and has two years remaining on his contract at the Stadio Friuli.
The report claims Bijol is one of the ‘hottest names’ on Leeds’ summer shortlist, with defensive reinforcements a top priority among Elland road chiefs. There are also suggestions that contact has been made, albeit it’s unclear whether that’s with Udinese or the player’s representatives.
Bijol’s performances appear to have caught the eye of other top Serie A outfits, with AC Milan and AS Roma also recently linked. And after helping Slovenia to a 1-0 win over Luxembourg on Friday, the 26-year-old addressed speculation over his future, hinting he is keen to progress his career elsewhere.
“Does Milan want me? We are talking about a truly great team,” he told Gianlucadimarzio.com. “But I don't want to talk about it now, my focus is on [Tuesday’s] match with Bosnia. They are just rumours and in Italy there are always a lot of them. But it is also true that I feel ready for this next step, let's see if it starts this summer. In football you never know. I am grateful to Udinese who have given me so much and I am happy in Udine. But I would like to make the leap.”
Could Leeds United sign Jaka Bijol this summer?
Asked whether he would prefer a move to Milan, Roma or the Premier League, Bijol again did little to quash speculation, responding: “No, I don't [have a preference]. Who knows, maybe at the end of the summer I will still be an Udinese player. Let's see what happens, in football nothing is guaranteed.”
Bijol’s admission he would ‘like to make the leap’ suggests he is keen on a move this summer and so it is no surprise to see fresh reports linking him with a transfer. It is relatively common practice for the agents of such players to provide information on supposed contact in a bid to either drum up interest or alert the player’s current club.
That is not to say Leeds aren’t interested in Bijol, whose physical presence would undoubtedly be a good fit for a Premier League survival bid, but there is a big gap to bridge between sounding out a player’s situation and actively pursuing them. A right-footed centre-back will be a top priority at Elland Road this summer, with Joe Rodon the only current senior option at present.
Leeds will have an early eye on a number of possible targets at centre-back, however, with recruitment staff hard at work for several months preparing for their eventual return to the Premier League. But they are unlikely to rush into any major decisions, with 12 weeks until the summer window closes.
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