Leeds United transfer target reportedly pushing for Elland Road move as 'contract offer rejected'

The Austrian international missed Koln's DFB-Pokal fixture against SV Sandhausen at the weekend with the club citing 'knee problems' for his absence. However, according to various reports in Germany, the player trained as planned during the week leading up to the game and is instead attempting to force Koln's hand in sanctioning a transfer.

Newly-relegated Koln are not likely to part with Ljubicic on the cheap, though, given they are currently under transfer embargo and unable to register new players, which would limit their ability to replace Ljubicic.

Leeds saw a £3.3 million bid rejected earlier this summer and while the 26-year-old's omission from the matchday squad last weekend is not understood to have been prompted by a second, improved bid, the player supposedly remains keen on an Elland Road switch.

On Monday, Kicker reported the suspected reason for Ljubicic's absence over the weekend, which has been corroborated by BILD, who claim the Austrian is trying to 'push through a move'.

The player's Koln contract expires at the end of this season, which would see him leave on a free transfer having reportedly turned down an extension earlier this summer.

Thomas Kessler, who holds the position of head of first-team football at Effzeh, said last month he was confident of retaining the player and that an Austrian coaching team had been assembled in a bid to make Ljubicic feel as at home as possible.

Now, it appears the second tier German club are in a tricky situation, posed with the choice of accepting any forthcoming bids which meet a certain valuation or dig their heels in and lose the Austrian international on a free transfer next summer.

Leeds are not understood to have submitted a fresh bid yet but noise surrounding Ljubicic's future may inform those within the recruitment structure at Elland Road to green-light an improved offer that will test Koln's resolve given the player's supposed reluctance towards remaining at the RheinEnergieStadion.