Leeds United will be keen to strengthen their squad this summer ahead of their upcoming return to the Premier League.

The Whites are back in the big time, and the 49ers are set to release a healthy transfer budget to get their key targets and strengthen Daniel Farke’s hand ahead of what will likely be a fight in the lower reaches of the table.

That may not have been the case for the German, though, with Jose Mourinho said to have turned down a job offer from Elland Road.

Lukas Nmecha recently became Leeds’ first signing of the summer, and everyone at the West Yorkshire outfit will be working hard to ensure that he is far from the last new face to come through the door ahead of the opening day of the season.

Mourinho will be jealous as Jaka Bikol passes Leeds medical

Numerous players have been linked with a move to Elland Road since the conclusion of the 2024/25 campaign, even though the Whites have only secured one deal so far.

The strongest link of their window so far has come in the form of Slovenian centre back Jaka Bijol, who has been undergoing a medical ahead of his move to join Leeds.

The 26-year-old has now passed that medical, according to the Slovenian outlet Delo (21 June), with the transfer set to go through for a fee of around £18.8million, including bonuses.

Leeds are understood to have beaten the likes of Inter Milan and Napoli to Bijol’s signature from Udinese, as well as Galatasaray and Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.

The Special One will likely be left wishing he was in charge at Elland Road, now that the Whites have secured a deal for a player that he had designs on signing.

Leeds need plenty more additions

The signing of Bijol will undoubtedly be a good piece of business by Leeds, but they will need plenty more new faces through the door before their campaign gets underway if they are to have a genuine chance of avoiding an immediate return to the Championship.

The Premier League has become a completely different animal in the last few seasons, and even clubs like Leeds, who have an exceptional fanbase and ample spending power, can find it difficult to consolidate their spot.

Farke is facing a lack of experience in several key areas of his squad, but Bijol’s imminent arrival serves as recognition that they are aware that they need to strengthen the spine of the team.

If Leeds can get some seasoned top-level experience added to their ranks in all of their central areas, it could prove to be the difference when it comes to their fight against the drop.

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