Having failed with their first bid, Leeds United chief Gretar Steinsson has now reportedly travelled to get a deal to sign a midfield reinforcement over the line for Daniel Farke.
Leeds transfer news
Losing Glen Kamara is undoubtedly a blow for Farke and his side, making Leeds’ instant search for another midfielder no surprise. The former Rangers man swapped Elland Road for French side Stade Rennais following the Whites’ failure to secure Championship promotion last time out. And he’s not the only one who’s left as a result of play-off heartbreak, with academy graduate Archie Gray also leaving for Tottenham Hotspur in a big-money move.
What’s more, Wilfried Gnonto could yet follow the aforementioned duo out the door in another major blow, with Everton recently linked to the Leeds winger’s signature. But in between Gnonto’s potential exit, there could finally be another incoming at Elland Road in the form of a replacement for Kamara.
According to MOT Forum, Leeds chief Steinsson has now travelled to Germany to get a deal for Dejan Ljubicic over the line. This follows reports that the Whites had submitted a €4m (£3.4m) bid to sign the want-away FC Koln midfielder, only to see that offer rebuffed by the German second division side.
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Although relegated from the Bundesliga, Ljubicic stood out at Koln and has reportedly opted out of signing a new contract in favour of a summer exit. Whether that results in a move to Leeds remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that they need to replace Kamara before the Championship campaign gets underway next month, and Ljucibic appears to be a solid candidate on that front.
“Great” Ljubicic is Championship ready
Amid the chaos of a Championship promotion fight, Ljunbicic could add plenty of calm at the heart of Leeds’ midfield in place of Kamara. The 26-year-old recently earned high praise from new Koln manager Gerhard Struber, who told the German club’s official website: “Dejan is a player who has performed great for FC in recent years and can help us very, very well on the way back to the Bundesliga. Great. Simply great. The overall package is special. I’m very happy for him.”
Alas, the new boss could be bidding farewell to one of his best players right away to the benefit of those at Elland Road, who could form a formidable midfeld partnership between Ljubicic and Ethan Ampadu.
|
League stats P90 23/24 (via FBref) |
Dejan Ljubicic |
Ethan Ampadu |
|---|---|---|
|
Progressive Carries |
1.80 |
1.20 |
|
Progressive Passes |
3.68 |
5.15 |
|
Key Passes |
1.23 |
0.78 |
|
Ball Recoveries |
4.91 |
6.93 |
A more offensive midfielder than Ampadu, the Croatian, on paper, could be an ideal partner to the Welshman, whose work on and off the ball remains invaluable at Elland Road. Adding balance through Ljubicic would only increase his influence to perhaps finally unlock Championship promotion and Premier League football once again in Yorkshire.