(Credit: Hasan Karim – Breaking Media, Imago)
Mon 16 June 2025 16:43, UK Updated Mon 16 June 2025 17:01, UK
Leeds United are fearing a last-minute transfer collapse as they close in on a deal to sign Udinese centre-back Jaka Bijol.
Leeds marched on to the Championship title last season in superb form, as Daniel Farke’s side picked up 100 points across the campaign to return to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
Their step-up to the top-flight is set to be a challenging one, but boss Farke has recently moved to seal the free signing of Wolfsburg forward Lukas Nmecha to bolster his Leeds squad, and more arrivals are expected soon.
Udinese centre-back Bijol has been one of those set to make the move to Elland Road, with his stock rising after a stellar Serie A campaign that saw him make 34 appearances last season.
Leeds have been reported as closing in on a move for the 26-year-old, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post, but new developments around interest in his services have now plunged the Whites’ pursuit into uncertainty.
Bijol has been a key man for Udinese (Credit: Imago)Leeds fearing late Jaka Bijol transfer hijack as Newcastle and AC Milan register interest
Bijol’s talents have seen him rated at around £17million by Udinese’s chiefs, and he would provide competition for Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk at the heart of Farke’s defence if he was to join the Whites this summer.
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Despite Leeds being in advanced negotiations for his signature, The Guardian have now claimed that the Elland Road outfit are fearful of a move for Bijol collapsing due to late interest from fellow Premier League side Newcastle United and Italian giants AC Milan.
They claim that Magpies boss Eddie Howe is after a “right-sided, ball-playing central defender,” so the Slovenian international is a target, and the Tyneside club’s priority is to wrap up a deal for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi, but a deal could prove out of reach.
Football Insider recently revealed that Newcastle and Arsenal are in direct competition to sign Guehi this summer, and so if the England international chooses the Emirates Stadium, it would make the Magpies’ need for a replacement even greater.
When Jaka Bijol stopped a move in his own box and finished one at the other end 🔀#MonzaUdinese pic.twitter.com/i5fpGBFkco
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) June 13, 2025
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Leeds need to wrap up a move for Bijol before Newcastle or Milan put a bid in for his services
Football Insider verdict
Leeds clearly have greater pulling power than most teams that have been promoted to the Premier League, mainly down to their status as a big club in English football and potential to grow into a top-flight regular once again in the coming years.
Their pursuit of Bijol is a key one, especially with Farke’s squad looking light at the back as it stands with centre-back Max Wober set to depart Leeds amid recent comments around his future at the club.
The Slovenian international is still only 26-years-old, and his impressive performances saw him help Udinese to a 12th-placed finish in Serie A last term, which is the kind of position that would represent a hugely successful first season back in the Premier League for the Whites in 2024/25.
Bijol’s Udinese career statistics
He is clearly highly-rated across Europe, with interest from Champions League-bound Newcastle and one of the biggest clubs in world football in Milan, and so Leeds must move quickly to seal his signature in the coming days, or risk losing out on a top target.
The summer window is now back open after closing for the start of the Club World Cup, and so the Whites have to waste no time in signing Bijol before one of those interested clubs potentially makes a concrete bid for his services which could quite easily turn his head away from Elland Road.
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