Leeds United have a verbal agreement in place with Brighton for the sale of centre-back Pascal Struijk for a deal worth £20m in the ongoing transfer window.
A deal is in place between the two clubs, and Brighton will soon formalise an official bid before putting the defender through a medical and agreeing on personal terms.
The centre-back has a year left on his contract and has ignored an offer of a new deal from Leeds. The club would have preferred to keep him, but are not ready to watch him leave on a free transfer next year.
Leeds have been scouring the market in preparation for Struijk’s departure, and here are a few centre-backs they could potentially sign to replace the Dutchman.
Three defenders who could replace Pascal Struijk at Leeds
Ladislav Krejci
The Wolves centre-back was one of the very few standouts in a team that suffered relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season. He is almost certain to leave the Molineux club, and Leeds have identified him as a potential replacement for Struijk this summer.
Wolves are expected to demand somewhere around £26m for the centre-back, and he is very much within Leeds’ budget. He was one of the very few players who looked good in the Premier League while playing for Wolves and will likely thrive in a more settled team.
Leeds also need a defensive leader to replace Struijk, and Krejci is the captain of the Czech Republic national team.
Maxime Esteve
Leeds could take advantage of another relegated side, Burnley, to sign a replacement for Struijk if they move for Maxime Esteve in the ongoing transfer window. The French centre-back is one of the players who is expected to move on from the Clarets in the ongoing transfer window, and the Whites must pounce.
He is one more left-footed centre-back who can play out from the back in the mould of Struijk and has much-needed Premier League experience. In a more settled team such as Leeds, the Frenchman will likely thrive and is likely to be available for a reasonable transfer fee as well.
Jhon Lucumi
The Colombian centre-back is having a brilliant World Cup and pocketed Cristiano Ronaldo in the 0-0 draw against Portugal on Saturday night. He is now preparing for a last-32 clash against Ghana next Friday night, but it seems increasingly unlikely that Bologna will hold on to him.
Comfortable as a left-sided centre-back, he has become a highly regarded profile in European football thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward and pick out progressive passes.
With Italian clubs ready to sell players for sizable fees, this could be Leeds’ chance to sign a perfect replacement for Struijk if they snare Lucumi away from Bologna.
Lucumi might have pockted Ronaldo for one game but can he do it multiple times?