Leeds United are after a midfielder between now and the deadline on August 30 and one player on the Elland Road shortlist as been determined to move to Yorkshire for weeks now.
With Archie Gray leaving Leeds to join Tottenham and Glen Kamara departing Elland Road for Ligue 1 side Rennes, The Whites have lost a body in the middle of the park despite the loan addition of Joe Rothwell.
Leeds are said to want a midfielder that can contribute a few goals and assists from deep. Last season, Gray, Kamara and Ilia Gruev managed just two goals between them and it’s an area that can be improved.
One option that has been heavily linked with Leeds this summer is Austria international Dejan Ljubicic. It is claimed that Leeds have seen an offer of £3.3m rejected for Ljubicic despite his contract ending in 2025.
Dejan Ljubicic has wanted Leeds move for a number of weeks now
The 26-year-old has just been relegated to the second tier of German football with Koln and given his deal expires next summer, a move is likely with BILD saying there is no chance that he signs an extension.
The report from BILD says Ljubicic is aware of Leeds interest and his head is gone from Koln. He wants to join Leeds and has been keen on a move to Elland Road for a number of weeks, ‘desperate’ to leave.
It comes after an earlier report this week said that Daniel Farke would ‘only be too happy’ to sign Ljubicic, a player that has been described as “perfect” and played all over midfield and even both flanks last term.
Ljubicic is cheap, versatile and the ideal midfield addition at Leeds
With a £3.3m offer rejected, Leeds won’t have to go much further to be able to tempt Koln into a sale who will be well aware that their star midfielder is set to leave the club in a year anyway, but on a free.
Koln will want some time to bring in a replacement, so the two clubs need to come to a compromise and a slightly improved offer from Leeds would surely tempt Koln into doing a deal with Leeds for Ljubicic.
Perhaps, a fee in the region of £5m might be enough to get a deal over the line. All sides win, Koln avoid losing Ljubicic on a free, Leeds sort their lack of midfield options and Ljubicic gets the move he wanted.
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