Leeds United fans will pray that this Championship season is the one where the Whites win promotion back to the Premier League in resounding fashion having just missed out last campaign courtesy of the lottery of the playoffs.
There is a feel-good factor in the air at Elland Road that they can wrestle free of their tag as bottlejobs on the big occasion, with the hope that an emphatic win against second-tier new boys Portsmouth on the opening day can start the 46-game marathon in the best possible way.
Daniel Farke will feel that he is still a body or two short from having the finished squad that he thinks could be capable of winning promotion in style though, with a new move now in the works.
Leeds in the hunt for FC Koln star
Leeds aren't just looking to bolster their options out wide, with Norwich City's Jonathan Rowe a target, but their midfield areas could also be strengthened.
As per German outlet BILD, Leeds could still come out on top regarding their pursuit of FC Koln midfielder Dejan Ljubicic, if they're willing to cough up some significant cash.
Leeds are in the money again with Crysencio Summerville's sale to West Ham United injecting some much-needed funds into the transfer kitty, and so the Whites could be prepared to splash out on the Austrian star, with BILD speculating that £6.8m should be enough for Ljubicic to move to West Yorkshire.
Suffering a relegation down to the Bundesliga 2 last campaign, Koln must have known it was going to be a tall order to keep a firm grip on their 26-year-old gem ahead of the new season, with Ljubicic now even stating that he 'dreams' of a major move away from Germany.
How Ljubicic can be Farke's next Gruev
Farke will hope he can mould this potential recruit into his next Ilia Gruev, who shone last campaign after once being a relatively unknown entity from another German club in Werder Bremen, to the point where Borussia Dortmund have even been sniffing around for his services.
Gruev would slowly but surely become a key cog in the Whites' first team, going on to make 35 appearances in all competitions, forming a solid duo in the holding midfield spots with the now departed Glen Kamara.
The Leeds number 44 was unerringly cool on the ball under pressure across the frantic full campaign, finishing the regular season in the Championship with a 92% pass accuracy on average per clash, alongside firing home one memorable strike against Norwich City in the playoffs, before Wembley heartbreak eventually greeted Farke's men.
Minutes played
90
Goals scored
0
Assists
1
Touches
44
Shots
3
Accurate passes
21/29 (72%)
Key passes
3
Total duels won
3/7
The nine-time Austria international starred on the opening day of the Bundesliga 2 season for his current employers, as can be seen looking at the table above, displaying shades of Gruev's game with three key passes notched up, alongside a willingness to disrupt play and battle with three duels bravely won.
Leeds might well have been watching on to cast an eye over their target once more, presumably encouraged by what they saw to now be tempted into bidding the excessive £6.8m being thrown about, with his assist on the day gifting Koln a goal in the 2-1 loss.
Scoring 11 goals to date whilst donning a Koln jersey, including this sublime strike at the start of 2024, Ljubicic could give Farke's men another attacking option in the middle of the park akin to new loan signing Joe Rothwell, who also has a long-range rocket up his sleeve.
Farke will be happy with the players that he has to choose from currently, with the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter remaining fixed in their West Yorkshire postcodes for the time being alongside Gruev obvious positives, but new arrivals such as Ljubicic would really strengthen this top squad even more.
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