Report: Leeds’ £3.3m Offer for International Midfielder Rejected, but Another Bid is Planned
After Leeds’ 4-1 pre-season friendly win over Hannover, Daniel Farke confirmed that he wants to address both the midfield and full-back positions. Leeds have already signed Joe Rothwell, who has impressed in his two appearances so far.
However, the team has lost Glen Kamara and Archie Gray from last season’s squad, leaving Farke short on midfield options as the new season approaches.
Farke is targeting a more attack-minded number eight to add goals to an area that was unproductive in the league last season. Leeds have their eyes on Koln’s Dejan Ljubičić. Farke has previously leveraged his Bundesliga contacts to bring players to Leeds, such as Ilia Gruev from Werder Bremen almost a year ago. He also nearly signed Nadiem Amiri from Bayer Leverkusen, but that deal fell through at the last minute.
According to Bild, Leeds have made a £3.3 million offer for FC Koln’s Dejan Ljubičić, which has been rejected by the club’s managing director, Christian Keller. Koln, relegated from the Bundesliga earlier this year, are keen to retain Ljubičić, who made 27 appearances last season. However, with just 12 months remaining on his contract and no intention of renewing, Leeds are preparing a second bid.
Dejan Ljubičić, a nine-time capped Austrian international, has extensive experience in the Bundesliga. He has made 83 top-flight appearances for Koln, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.
Ljubičić also has experience in European competitions, having played in the Champions League qualifiers, Europa League, and Conference League. Despite his decent goal-scoring record, Ljubičić may not be the attack-minded number eight Leeds fans expect.
