Leeds United have secured the signing of 26-year-old Slovenian international defender Jaka Bijol from Italian club Udinese.
Bijol, a centre-back, joins on a five-year deal, becoming Leeds’ second summer acquisition after German forward Lukas Nmecha.
Bijol expressed his excitement for what he calls the “biggest challenge” of his career, stating he’s “ready for the Premier League” with the club.
A key figure in Udinese’s defense, Bijol is renowned for his aerial ability.
Over the last three seasons, only four centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues have a better aerial duel success rate (69%), including Virgil van Dijk.
Bijol has a strong international background, representing Slovenia at all youth levels and featuring in their UEFA Euro 2024 squad. He’s only the second Slovenian to play for Leeds.
