It is always the way that a manager will start to take credit for a good signing once the player in question finds his form, and that is no different for Daniel Farke at Leeds United.
But to be fair to the German gaffer, his work in the transfer window with whoever is in the sporting director role has been superb since he came to the club. From 2023, right up until the summer.
Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, Jayden Bogle, Gabi Gudmundsson, Ao Tanaka, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Lukas Nmecha – all signed for £10m or less. Farke has admitted trying to sign Tanaka a year earlier.
Leeds fans might feel Adam Underwood should have got more through the door in the summer. But the players he did sign have been excellent, especially Calvert-Lewin. But also, £15m addition Jaka Bijol.
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He's turned it around!
Daniel Farke has had a “soft spot” for Jaka Bijol since 2020
Following his £15m arrival from Udinese, Bijol was initially frustrated at Leeds over a lack of game time. Often, on international duty, he would open up about struggling to start under Leeds boss Farke.
But he has come into the side and is now one of the first names on the team sheet, especially since Leeds went to three at the back. Farke described Bijol as a “marquee signing”, and Bijol is finally showing that.
On Tuesday, Farke held his pre-Liverpool press conference and was asked how long he had watched Bijol with the journalist in question claiming Inter Milan, Napoli and Bayern Munich all wanted to sign him.
“How long was he on your radar? I know there was genuine interest from Inter Milan, Napoli, Bayern Munich,” the reporter asked. Farke said he’d watched Bijol since his loan spell at Hannover in 2020-21.
“I’ve followed his path for a few years. Even when he was a young lad in the second tier of Germany, I followed his career. It was not possible to work with him until now, but I always had a soft spot for him.
“I quite like his career, not a superstar at youth level. But he’s improved from year to year, and this is a healthy development. I like to follow players like this. Jaka is still relatively young,” Farke added, on Bijol.
“He’s still running up the hill but is already there. He’s played at the top in Italy, with a lot of effort we convinced him but it was relatively easy, because from the first day he was motivated to represent Leeds.
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He's getting better…
Jaka Bijol will now have to take on leadership role at Leeds
When it comes to top-flight experience, caps for your country, and so on, Bijol is suddenly the man that the Leeds players will be turning to defensively. Joe Rodon has been ruled out of the clash at Anfield.
Farke has two options. He either sticks with his 3-5-2 system and plays a player out of position in Rodon’s role, or brings Sebastiaan Bornauw into the starting line-up for the first time. Or, he changes to 4-3-3.
But either way, Bijol will be one of the first names on the team sheet on Thursday night with Rodon not involved. It will be interesting to see the dynamic between Struijk and Bijol if it is a back four at Liverpool.
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