Leeds could see £11m bid accepted to sign their next Bijol

With the FA Cup on over the weekend, Leeds United had a slight distraction away from the demanding Premier League.

The Whites have given their all during recent contests in the elite top-flight division, but their sublime seven-match unbeaten run came crashing down dramatically away at Newcastle United.

Now, it’s up to Daniel Farke to ensure his team doesn’t get too downbeat about the nature of that 4-3 loss, with plenty of football still to be played, to make sure they don’t instantly fall back down to the Championship.

Defensive reinforcements look to be a priority this window, with Joe Rodon limping off towards the close of that sensational affair at St James’ Park…

Leeds learn £11m bid could be accepted

Farke remained positive at the close of the game on Tyneside, having seen enough spirit from his side to deem them worthy of being able to battle at the foot of the league.

Still, he wouldn’t say no to an addition here or there to further boost his troops, with Callum Wilson a rumoured target, as Leeds look to add more ammunition to their forward areas.

Away from chasing after the West Ham United striker, Leeds are also being incessantly linked with a swoop for Union Berlin centre-back Danilho Doekhi. Reports last week suggested that the player was keen on a move to Elland Road but there has been a fresh update on their pursuit, with TEAMtalk revealing how much it will take for his Bundesliga employers to consider parting ways.

Indeed, the report states that Aston Villa have now come into the race for the Dutchman’s services, as per sources from Germany, with Doekhi allegedly very keen on the idea of relocating to the Premier League.

Noted as being a top target of Farke and Co, it’s stated that an £11m offer could be accepted by Union, with Doekhi available for a discounted price owing to his contract expiring in Germany at the end of the season.

Farke will be hopeful that if a mid-season swoop were to be finalised Doekhi could go down as another Jaka Bijol-style purchase, with the commanding Slovenian now a first-team regular at Leeds, after also leaving a major European league behind.

How Doekhi could be Farke’s next Bijol

Bijol was over the moon when he powered home a header against Chelsea in December, with the moment lauded as something that the ex-Udinese man had “dreamed of his whole life.”

Since this emphatic header beat Robert Sanchez, Bijol has managed to solidify himself as a dependable centre-back presence under Farke, with a mighty 14 duels won across his last three Premier League contests for the relegation battlers.

With an assist also next to his name against Crystal Palace, Bijol has managed to bounce back from a ropey start to life in England extremely well, with former Whites defender Aidy White hailing him as an “aggressive” asset who is also “comfortable” with the ball at his feet.

Doekhi is very much built in this same mould, with his forceful ability to pop up with a goal when dominating opponents in the air even seeing him be heralded as a “goal-scoring menace” by Bundesliga reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt.

Staggeringly, the imposing 27-year-old has managed to collect four goals from the heart of defence this season for Steffen Baumgart’s men, as the number 5 now dreams of making his goalscoring prowess known in England, like Bijol displayed when breaking the early deadlock against Chelsea.

Yet, while he does put his 6 foot 3 frame to good use regularly, as seen in his superb 15-goal tally in the German capital from 115 appearances, Farke would also have no qualms in playing him in his system, which demands that the centre-backs at his disposal are calm and controlled when playing out from the back.

Once noted as being “very agile” by ex-Union Berlin sporting director Oliver Ruhnert, Doekhi should have no trouble adjusting to what is expected of him in the Premier League, with his average of 26.3 accurate passes per Bundesliga contest this season, not a million miles off Bijol’s own average of 42.5.

Farke will also want to see that authoritative nature in the air come to the forefront when swapping Germany for England, with a crazy average of 7.7 duels won per Bundesliga match this campaign, making Bijol’s 4.6 average look measly in comparison.

For £11m, this could be a steal worth getting over the line, with the £15m splashed on Bijol’s services, who was once a relative unknown entity from Udinese, ultimately paying off.

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