Jaka Bijol to Leeds United transfer: Which shirt number will Udinese ace take?
Jaka Bijol looks to be on the brink of joining Leeds United.
The Slovenian defender will become Leeds’ second signing, after the capture of Lukas Nmecha, ahead of the Whites’ Premier League return next season.
Here, MOT Leeds News explores which shirt number Bijol could be handed.
Bijol is prime candidate to take Junior Firpo’s number 3 shirt
Bijol has never played in England before, but he has plenty of experience playing at the highest level.
He made 95 appearances for Udinese in the three seasons he spent at the Italian club.
Before that, he spent four years in the Russian Premier League with CSKA Moscow.
At first glance, it would appear that Bijol is a prime candidate to take the number 3 shirt from Junior Firpo.
Firpo has been linked with a move away from Elland Road all summer, and is expected to seal a transfer to Real Betis in the coming days.
The Dominican is popular among the Leeds fans, but Bijol is unlikely to feel any pressure taking his squad number.
While the No.3 shirt is normally handed to a full-back, it is the only low outfield shirt number likely to be available.
Bijol wore the number 29 shirt for Udinese, and there’s a chance that this shirt could become available at Leeds next season too.
It was occupied by Willy Gnonto last season, but he is rumoured to be seeking a move away from Leeds as well.
Bijol will hope to hit the ground running in a Leeds shirt
Some players take a lot of pride in the number that’s worn on the back of their shirt, while others see it as a silly detail.
Bijol is a no-nonsense Balkan defender, and you’d sense he’d fall into the latter category.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 37 | 3189 | 2 | 0 |
The most important thing from his point of view is being able to catch up with the pace of the Premier League.
Bijol faced some of Europe’s greatest attackers during his time in Udinese. He also helped to shut out Harry Kane and England during a 0-0 draw in last summer’s European Championships. He was a monster at the back during that game, getting some part of his body on every ball thrown into the box.
However, the Premier League is a lot faster than Serie A and international football. He will need to get up to speed during pre-season, ready for Leeds’ first Premier League game against Everton on 18 August.
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