Jaka Bijol forced to do something for the first time in his career to join Leeds United

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The 49ers could be about to make their first Premier League signing for Leeds United in the form of Udinese centre-back Jaka Bijol.

We previously outlined that Bijol would be the perfect start to the transfer window for Leeds United. The Whites need to build a team capable of surviving Premier League relegation.

There were initial reports of €20 million being enough for Leeds to sign Bijol but others state that a fee of around £18-19 million is needed to land Bijol.

A move appears to be edging closer and confidence is growing in West Yorkshire that they can seal a deal for a target in a key position, adding quality and depth to Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon in the heart of the defence.

• READ MORE: Leeds United’s starting XI if Jaka Bijol and Habib Diarra join this summer as Daniel Farke to drop £25m star

Jaka Bijol’s shirt number for Leeds United

There are encouraging signs regarding Leeds’ move for Bijol and the noises coming from the player’s entourage, with Beren Cross revealing the latest on Leeds’ Bijol pursuit.

It could be a matter of mere days now before a deal is finalised, which would bring the big Slovenian to Elland Road after he played 90 minutes in both games against Luxembourg and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Leeds will want as many players in for pre-season as possible, but it begs the question as to what shirt number Bijol will take for that and potentially for next season as well?

For NK Rudar Velenje, CSKA Moscow, and Udinese he has exclusively worn number 29, with only one season at club level in a different squad number of six for Hannover 96.

For his country, the 26-year-old has been playing from a young age and developed into a key player where he consistently dons the number six shirt again, but a young Bijol wore an array of different squad numbers.

Those include seven, nine, 15, 18, and 21; of which, some of those are available. However, two of Leeds’ key men wear Bijol’s primary numbers of six and 29. It means, for the first time in his club career, he will have to switch from one of his two preferred options.

Joe Rodon is Leeds’ No.6 following Liam Cooper’s departure, while Willy Gnonto has worn 29 since his arrival to the club in 2022 from FC Zurich. It’s unlikely he gets either of those and he will have to opt for something else.

Three will soon be available following Firpo’s departure, but 12, 15, and 18 are all available and viable. Meanwhile, 21 is taken by Alex Cairns. Of course, Pontus Jansson was one of the last to don 18, which would be fitting for a player of Bijol’s profile.

Some fans won’t care particularly at an arbitrary thing on paper — but to some players and supporters, it is something they obsess over.

• READ MORE: Leeds United’s winners and losers if The 49ers agree £17m Jaka Bijol deal include Ethan Ampadu

Marco Silvestri has praised Leeds United target Jaka Bijol

During an impressive 2022/23 season with Udinese, Marco Silvestri was earning praise for his performances and was even touted with an Italy call-up. But when discussing his form, he turned to those in front of him first to thank for their defensive form.

Speaking on Bijol in October 2022, Silvestri said: “Jaka Bijol is doing really well and gives the team reassurance. I think we’re doing brilliantly defensively. I’m so pleased with the cover in front of me.”

Bijol is now a far more rounded and experienced player with more than 250 club appearances to his name and an impressive 63 caps for Slovenia despite still only being 26 years of age. Bijol is a warrior of a centre-back.

If Leeds sign this centre-back, they will have three options of real quality as their base to take into the Premier League. It could be a match made in heaven given that he loves to defend his box and clear everything out.