Leeds United have offered Dejan Ljubicic a three-year deal but are yet to meet FC Koln’s £5.9million asking price, according to Schoner Schrank Palm.
The German transfer insider, who has broken stories from FC Koln this summer and is followed by Sky Sports Germany reporters, posted on X (22 August) to report that the Whites had offered the Austrian midfielder a three-year deal worth £1.95m in total, or £12,500-a-week.
However, the Bundesliga.2 side are still demanding £5.9m for the 26-year-old, with United’s first offer being far lower at less than £2.6m as they sought a replacement for the departed Glen Kamara.
United are reportedly yet to make a new offer for Ljubicic despite Koln’s reluctance to offer the midfielder a new contract, with the Austria international having recently appointed a new agent.
Leeds United must stick or twist with Dejan Ljubicic transfer
Back when the Whites made their first offer for Ljubicic, the date was 25 July and optimism was sky-high ahead of the new Championship season with over a month of the transfer window left.
Since then though, the mood has turned significantly at Elland Road, with no new signings made between Jayden Bogle on 20 July and Largie Ramazani from Almeria on Thursday (22 August).
That month-long gap has also seen two of Daniel Farke’s star players, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter, make Premier League moves, leaving the Peacocks with a dearth of attacking options.
It’s also left the club with money to spend, and given they clearly retain an interest in Ljubicic, Leeds do not have time to waste if they do indeed want to sign the midfielder with the 30 August deadline looming.
On top of Ramazani and at least two more attacking players [Sky Sports, 22 August], Farke also wants a midfielder in the mould of Ljubicic, and with time running out, he must urge the club to part ways with Koln’s £5.9m asking price.