OFFICIALLY PUSHED DOWN THE PECKING ORDER: Leeds United £15m “monster” may never play for Leeds again because of Muharemovic. He looks finished.

OFFICIALLY PUSHED DOWN THE PECKING ORDER: Leeds United £15m “monster” may never play for Leeds again because of Muharemovic. He looks finished.

Jaka Bijol’s time at Elland Road appears to be hanging by a thread after the Slovenian international was openly left out in the cold by manager Daniel Farke, raising serious doubts over whether the £15m-plus defensive “monster” will ever feature prominently for Leeds United again.

Arriving from Udinese in the summer of 2025 in a deal reported between £15m and £17.5m (€21m–€22m), Bijol was a cornerstone of Leeds’ survival campaign during the 2025/26 season, making 31 appearances across all competitions and earning widespread praise for his physical dominance at the heart of the backline. However, just over a year into his West Yorkshire tenure, the 27-year-old finds himself completely displaced following the blockbuster summer arrival of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic.

Signed from Serie A side Sassuolo in July 2026 on a five-year contract, Muharemovic has been nothing short of a revelation. According to reports from Leeds Live and the Yorkshire Evening Post, the 23-year-old has immediately cemented himself as the undisputed leader of Farke’s three-man defensive system alongside fellow summer addition Nico Elvedi and James Justin. Muharemovic’s commanding performances have helped propel the Whites into the top half of the Premier League table—sitting ninth after 10 matches following a gritty 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur—while simultaneously slamming the door shut on Bijol’s starting prospects.

The numbers paint a bleak picture for Bijol’s future in LS11. Across Leeds’ opening 12 fixtures of the 2026/27 campaign, the 77-cap Slovenia centre-back has been restricted to just six appearances. In the Premier League, he has started only three matches, accumulating a meagre 259 minutes out of a possible 900—less than a third of the available league action. Worse still, he has been left as an unused substitute in five of Leeds’ last seven outings, watching from the sidelines even when fellow defender Joe Rodon was sidelined through injury.

Speaking candidly to Slovenian outlet 24ur.com while away on international duty this week—as verified by TEAMtalk and Leeds Live—Bijol broke his silence on his sudden demotion, admitting he is deeply frustrated with how Farke has handled his situation.

“The situation is a bit different than last season,” Bijol confessed. “I’m sure I’ve shown enough this year, so I’m a little disappointed with the whole thing. But that’s how it is; you have to accept it. Every footballer who doesn’t play is unhappy. These are facts, and I would be lying if I said anything different.”

While Bijol insisted he remains committed to fighting for his spot in training, the reality at Thorp Arch suggests his pathway back into the starting XI is blocked indefinitely. Club insiders indicate that Leeds hierarchy are already looking to tie Muharemovic down to an improved contract with a higher release clause amid growing interest from European heavyweights, underscoring just how central the Bosnian is to the club’s long-term vision.

With Elvedi locking down the other starting berth and Rodon returning to full fitness to add even fiercer competition, Bijol has plummeted to fourth or fifth choice in Farke’s defensive hierarchy. Although Leeds officials have publicly downplayed immediate exit rumors ahead of the January transfer window, persistent benching for a prime-age international defender rarely ends without a departure. Unless an unforeseen injury crisis strikes Elland Road, Muharemovic’s meteoric rise may have effectively brought the curtain down on Jaka Bijol’s Leeds United career.