"Wants to go" - Leeds United midfield transfer target pushing for switch to Elland Road | OneFootball

Daniel Farke has identified a need to address this area of the pitch.

Leeds United midfield target Dejan Ljubicic is reportedly pushing for a move to Elland Road from FC Koln before the end of the summer transfer window.

After a slow start to the new season, and losses of some of the best talent in the team, there is an open understanding that the Whites have a good amount of work to do in the final 10 days of the window.

Prior to Saturday's draw against West Bromwich Albion, manager Daniel Farke had laid out the areas of the pitch that he felt needed to be addressed.

"We need cover at full-back, a midfielder, a winger or offensive player and after Georgi (Rutter departs) a second offensive player," said Farke, via Leeds Live.

They may have to add to that shopping list if the situation surrounding Wilfried Gnonto changes, but, as things stand, they don't expect to lose what feels like the last of their Avengers before the end of the window.

One of the fronts that the German boss feels the need to work on - midfield - they have been chasing one target for a lot of the window: Ljubicic.

The FC Koln central midfielder has proved to be a hard deal for them to do. The player seems as if he wants to get the move to Yorkshire sorted though.

Dejan Ljubicic pushing for Leeds United transfer ahead of August 30 deadline

It had been reported by German outlet Kicker that the German second tier side had turned their noses up at a €4 million offering from Leeds for their Austrian midfield general, who is now in the final year of his current deal.

This report was then backed up by another outlet, Bild, who have also claimed that Ljubicic: "definitely wants to go to Leeds United".

The 26-year-old apparently wants to leave Koln and is pushing hard for a move to Elland Road - which is contradictory to quotes from him in July in which he stated that he was happy with his current employers.

Bild didn't state how much it may take to convince Koln to let Ljubicic go while he is still worth decent value, but they said that an improved offer by Leeds could make the German side's managing director, Christian Keller, "become weak" in terms of caving in and accepting a deal.

Koln's sporting director has previously said that he expects the 26-year-old to stay where he is, but there are seemingly plenty of twists and turns in the final week and a half of the transfer window to come.

Leeds United have to get Dejan Ljubicic deal done after long pursuit

Leeds, according to The Athletic.

Because they failed to win promotion, they found themselves in some potential financial trouble, but offloading Gray to Tottenham Hotspur helped them to avoid breaching any rules at the June 30 PSR deadline.

Now, with the extra money made from selling the other two, they shouldn't be haggling over what could potentially be £1-2 million for a player that could give them an added edge in the middle of the park.

They have the money, so the Whites' hierarchy should be pushing to get the player in a position that Farke has described as something that needs to be addressed.