Jaka Bijol, a Slovenian professional footballer, was born on February 5, 1999, in Vuzenica, Slovenia. Bijol is 1.90m tall and is 26 years old. He currently plays as a centre back but has also played as a defensive midfielder. He has joined Brighton in the EPL and is regarded as one of Slovenia’s better defensive prospects, as he is increasingly more visible in European football.
96 website brings you the most updated review of Bijol’s career path, contract information, and some basic analysis of performance on the pitch.
| Category | Details |
| Full Name | Jaka Bijol |
| DOB | February 5, 1999 |
| Age | 26 (June 2025) |
| Height | 1.90 m (6’3″) |
| Weight | Approx. 84 kg |
| Position | Centre-Back / Defensive Midfielder |
Early Life and Physical Profile: Jaka Bijol
Jaka Bijol was born and raised in the very small town of Vuzenica in Slovenia. He started playing football through various youth teams but developed as a youngster with youth academies, most notably Dravograd and Bravo. Bijol is a tall, athletic individual with a left-handed passing style, and all of this has been apparent since he was a younger player.
The combination of Bijol’s physicality and skills made and still makes him different from your average player, and it enabled him to play contested defensive roles whilst still being involved in ball progression and build-up.
Club Career: Jaka Bijol
Bijol made his professional debut with Rudar Velenje in the 2017–18 season. While he faced challenges and injuries that delayed his development as a starting player, he gained valuable experience in the Slovenian PrvaLiga. In 2018, he was identified by Russian giants CSKA Moscow to capitalize on his potential. He went on to make over 80 appearances and score 6 goals during his time with the team, which cemented his status as a player. Bijol spent the 2020–21 season on loan with German side Hannover 96 in the 2. Bundesliga, where he made 30 appearances, which provided him with further polishing of his defensive craft.
In July 2022, Bijol signed with Italian Serie A side Udinese in a reported €4 million transfer for five years. Bijol quickly became a regular starter due to his defensive discipline and attacking aerial presence, and by mid-2025 had made over 90 appearances across all competitions as a regular defender.
Transfer and Contract Details: Jaka Bijol
Brighton has signed Diego Coppola to a €11m transfer fee, as reported in May 2025. There were transfer speculations that Bijol had been linked with several Premier League clubs, including Leeds United, which had allegedly made offers of between €15 million and €20 million. But he signed with Brighton.
Salary and Net Worth: Jaka Bijol
Bijol used to earn in the region of €1.03 million annually at Udinese, and he is expected to make €11 million annually at Brighton. Over his career, Bijol has likely earned around €5.7 million. Bijol currently does not have any significant sponsorships, but as Bijol becomes better known, he usually finds some other commercial partnerships, with a few sponsorship requests will follow, along with transfer requests from clubs that could be more appealing.
International Career: Jaka Bijol
Jaka Bijol made his debut for the Slovenian senior national team on October 13, 2018, against Norway in a UEFA Nations League match. Since that time, Bijol has earned over 60 caps and has scored one international goal, a memorable goal against Croatia in March 2022. Bijol’s performances at the national level have been such that he has developed recognition as one of Slovenia’s defensive leaders and was noted as starting every match at UEFA Euro 2024. Bijol’s numerous solid defensive displays were noted in a few recent articles.
2024–25 Season Performance: Jaka Bijol
Bijol was a starting player in Udinese’s backline for the entire 2024-25 season. He started 34 matches and clocked at almost 3000 minutes for the league campaign. Bijol excelled in aerial duels and clearances, often ranking in the top percentile among defenders for defensive actions. Bijol saw his fair share of yellow cards during the season and was produced with 11 yellow cards and one red card, but he is recognised for his defensive contributions and had an average match rating of 6.78. Overall, while his sending off was unfortunate, Bijol was a positive contributor to Udinese.
Playing Style and Legacy: Jaka Bijol
Bijol plays with a combination of strength and tactical awareness, and distribution. He can play in either position of a back four as a central defender or as a defensive midfielder in front of the defence in the EPL. His composure on the ball and ability in the air have earned him comparisons to current ball-playing defenders. As Bijol’s career continues to develop, he will be viewed as a possible breakout player to join a top league in Europe.
96 app will continue to keep track of Jaka Bijol’s performance, transfer reports, and progression. His story is not done yet; big things are coming in England.
