Leeds United are expected to announce the arrival of Harry Wilson as the first signing of the summer soon. However, they have already finalised a major departure after Pascal Struijk left the club for Brighton.
The Dutch defender’s refusal to sign a new contract pushed Leeds to sell him this summer, and they needed a major sale before June 30 to be in line with the Premier League’s financial rules.
Brighton signed him for a deal worth £15m with another £3m in add-ons, a fee that has sparked some conversations around the Leeds fanbase who feel the club should have demanded more money.
Leeds needed the sale once Struijk refused to sign a new contract, but Graham Smyth has revealed his reservations around the decision to move him on.
The Leeds United insider is unsure about the Pascal Struijk decision
The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist has some serious concerns about Leeds’ decision to sell Pascal Struijk in the ongoing summer transfer window.
He stressed that the Dutchman was underrated by many in the Leeds fanbase, and they are going to soon find out how important he was to the team.
Smyth stressed that replacing Struijk is a huge concern not only because of what he brought to the team, but also because of the profile of player he is.
Smyth said on the Insider Elland Road podcast: “My main concern with this deal is: how do you replace him?
“He is criminally underrated, and the people who massively underrated him might be in for a surprise, depending on how Leeds go about replacing him.
“I think they will miss him a little bit when he is gone.
“But also, his position makes things difficult.”
Leeds need to find a replacement soon
Leeds are assessing several defensive targets this summer. However, they want to be careful about who they spend their money on to replace Struijk.
They also have several defenders in their squad and don’t necessarily need the Dutchman’s replacement in the building before pre-season.
However, Leeds need to move on soon not only to show they mean business and have already planned for Struijk’s departure, but also to lift the mood inside the fanbase.
Wilson’s arrival has not been announced yet, and Leeds have already sold one of their most important players in the squad. If the club bring in a top replacement for Struijk soon, it will ease some fraying nerves inside the supporter base.
So what choice did Leeds have? He didn’t want a new deal. He wanted a new challenge. Only a year left on his contract and able to talk to clubs in five months. Leeds did what they had to rather than lose him on a free next season
He’s overrated, not the opposite. He’s slow and easy to turn. If he wants to go, jog on.