This week saw news that Leeds United had agreed a deal to sell Pascal Struijk to Brighton. The news came as a bit of surprise in this transfer window.
Struijk is entering the final 12 months of his contract at Elland Road.
Per The Athletic, Leeds had an offer for him, but the defender is not willing to sign a new deal. The Dutchman wants a fresh challenge away from Elland Road and he may get it.
Pascal Struijk has been attracting a lot of interest over the past year.
Sources claim that Leeds turned down an offer from a foreign club in the summer window for him. The center back has impressed alongside Joe Rodon since the duo became the first choice pairing in the Championship.
Crystal Palace given green light to sign former Leeds United star
Struijk’s departure may complicate things at Elland Road this summer.
Daniel Farke chooses to play with a back three, and last season the Whites had four center backs on their books. James Justin, who is a fullback, had to fill in the back three for most of the campaign.
Losing the defender would be a huge blow for the club. It would remind fans about another young defender who left a few season ago.
The Whites sold Charlie Cresswell to Toulouse after he wanted a move away from the club.
Cresswell could be back in England soon; TEAMtalk are reporting that Crystal Palace have lined up the center back this summer. The Eagles are set to lose Maxence Lacroix.
The Frenchman has been linked with a move to Chelsea over the last couple of weeks.
If Lacroix does leave Crystal Palace, then a move for Cresswell could be in play for the London club.
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Losing Pascal Struijk would be a huge blow
The Whites have been forced to sell Struijk this summer to avoid losing him on a free next year.
Now, the problem will be replacing him. The transfer market has inflated the prices of almost every decent player in the Premier League, so finding a player of that quality may be difficult.
Leeds were fortunate to have Struijk develop and rise through their ranks.
Becoming a consistent Premier League club means that the 49ers will have to accept they will lose their best players along the way. Replacing them is the hardest part of the job.
