Sport Bild Report: Leeds, rejected once, will continue to pursue Köln's Ljubicic
Germany's "Sport Bild" tabloid reports that English second division side Leeds United are keen on acquiring German second division midfielder Dejan Ljubicic. The nine-times-capped Austrian international is entering the final year of his contract with recently relegated 1. FC Köln. Unlike several other players of the roster of the cathedral city club, Ljubicic has not committed himself to the Köln project.
The German paper claims that Köln personnel boss Christian Keller has rejected a €4 million offer for the €5 million-valued Vienna-native. Under normal circumstances, Germany's Gießböcke would be happy to cash-in on Ljubicic rather than lose him on a free next summer. The transfer ban under which Köln presently operate nevertheless hardly constitutes "normal circumstances".
Keller and staff remain unable to reinvest whatever money they procure from player sales into new players. It is such that the club has little reason to accept an offer from the EFL championship club. Sport Bild still claims that Leeds - coached by German trainer Daniel Farke - are not prepared to give up just yet. Ljubicic himself can naturally also force a move.