Leeds United sacrifice theory revealed as Dejan Ljubicic bid indicates Daniel Farke style change — YEP 26/7/24

By Joe Donnohue

Leeds United saw a £3.3 million bid for Austria and Koln midfielder Dejan Ljubicic rebuffed as the German club seek to maximise the player's market value with less than 12 months of his contract remaining at the RheinEnergieStadion.

Watch a four-minute highlight reel of Ljubicic during his time at SK Rapid Wien and one might assume the 6ft 2in Austrian international is the perfect, all-round, box-to-box, play-creating central midfielder Leeds have been pining after for years.

He can hit it long, switch play with diagonals, thread through-balls into the path of attackers, complete recovery runs with a cleanly-timed tackle, score goals and celebrate as though he's won the World Cup. Sign him.

Of course, 'YouTube scouting' is not advised, for any player, as clips are designed to demonstrate a player's strengths in the most positive light with their shortcomings quite literally not making the cut.

Leeds' monitoring of the 26-year-old is said to date back to January 2023, according to sports journalists on the continent, which suggests at the very least those tasked with finding United's next signing have been watching a great deal more intently and tracking for a longer period than a four-minute video set to thumping electronic Eurotrance allows.

What can be deciphered about the Austrian, whose typically un-Germanic name is down to his Bosnian parentage, will be explained in due course.

There is a chance Leeds may not return with a second bid for the midfielder, but as seen with the pursuit of Jayden Bogle, for whom two initial bids were rejected by Sheffield United, when the Whites lock in their target, they tend to see it out until completion.

Ljubicic is nominally a No. 8, but more recently has played as a deeper midfielder, operating in a double-pivot for club side Koln. This is due to the exit of Ellyes Skhiri to Eintracht Frankfurt last summer and one of the most underrated defensive midfielders and single pivots in European football, at least in this journalist's opinion.

Before last season, in which Ljubicic dropped back and Koln were relegated, Effzeh's No. 7 played as a more advanced, box-to-box type on the right-hand side of a narrow midfield three in a 4-1-3-2 formation.

From this area of the pitch, he took up aggressive positions, contributing to attacks but due to his rangy, 6ft 2in frame, was able to track back and tackle when required, supporting Skhiri and the back four. To give an example of Ljubicic's defensive work, think Ilia Gruev, if the Bulgarian were three-to-four inches taller.

That is not to say he is a particularly active defensive player, because Ljubicic isn't - which perhaps explains why Koln struggled more when deploying him in a deeper role throughout 2023/24. The Austrian likes to get involved in the final third first and foremost, to carry the ball into dangerous areas and Opta data, via FBRef.com, reflects this.

In 2022/23, whilst still nominally a No. 8, Ljubicic made 1.95 progressive carries per 90 minutes for Koln, which was better than four-in-five midfielders across Europe's top five leagues.

Furthermore, Ljubicic's 1.68 carries into the final third and 0.53 carries into the penalty area per 90 placed him among the top 18 per cent and top 16 per cent of midfielders, respectively, throughout Europe's elite divisions.

The positions Ljubicic likes to get on the ball most are reflected in the data, too, as that season the Austrian received on average five progressive passes per 90 minutes, indicating he was often in advanced areas asking teammates to find him.

Playing as a No. 8, Ljubicic's Bundesliga data suggests he would be more than adequate at creating chances in the Championship, too, particularly from open play situations. While his passing accuracy leaves a lot to be desired, one would expect an uptick in success rate at a lower level than Germany's top flight, but it is perhaps symptomatic of a player keen to make the killer pass as opposed to recycling and retaining possession.

Leeds' Glen Kamara sale, loan signing of Joe Rothwell and bid for Ljubicic - who is more the Bournemouth loanee's spec than Kamara's - hints towards a sacrifice of sorts. Daniel Farke may be seeking to prioritise ball retention less during 2024/25, and instead hoping for his midfield, specifically the No. 8, to be more punchy in possession and impactful in the final third.