Dejan Ljubicic has been dropped by his prominent agent, Volker Struth, after Ljubicic and his team attempted to secure a “dream” move to Leeds United, according to BILD.
The German newspaper reported on August 23 that a significant dispute has arisen at FC Köln, as the 2. Bundesliga club has rejected Leeds’ €4 million (£3.4m) offer [Kicker, August 18].
The transfer has now fallen through, and Struth along with his agency, Sports360 GmbH, have ended their association with Ljubicic due to difficulties in managing him.
Many members of Ljubicic’s inner circle reportedly got involved in pushing for the Leeds move, which created complications and dissatisfaction with Struth’s agency.
Ljubicic had previously parted ways with agent Dirk Hebel last summer while seeking a transfer to Werder Bremen, and he has now reportedly switched agents five times in the past year and a half.
FC Köln’s Dejan Ljubicic Dropped by Agent Volker Struth Amid Leeds United Deal Collapse
Daniel Farke is nearing his second attacking reinforcement, with Tottenham’s Manor Solomon expected to join [David Ornstein, August 24] following Largie Ramazani’s move from Almería.
Farke has been waiting for a central midfielder to replace Glen Kamara since Kamara’s departure to Rennes [Leeds Live, July 13].
Ljubicic could have been a viable option for that role, and Köln’s relegation might have raised hopes at Elland Road for a potential deal.
However, the fallout from this failed transfer might signal that Leeds are better off avoiding the complications.
This summer’s transfer window is beginning to mirror last year’s, with a last-minute push needed to complete deals well after the season has started. Similar to the saga of Nadiem Amiri’s potential move from Bayer Leverkusen, which involved multiple twists and family influence [Kicker, August 28; Kicker, November 3], another German midfield signing drama seems to be unfolding.
Leeds eventually addressed their needs last year by signing Kamara from Rangers and Ilia Gruev from Werder Bremen just before the deadline, so fans will hope for a similar outcome this year.
In other Leeds United news, the club has agreed to cover a significant portion of a £60,000-a-week contract to secure another new signing before the deadline.
