“I wanted…” – Pascal Struijk gives brutally honest verdict on Leeds departure

This summer has seen Leeds United spend £34 million on the defence, and more money could go into reinforcements. The Whites had a solid unit in the Premier League last season.

Jaka Bijol, Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon settled and became the first choice back three to see out the season.

Unfortunately for Daniel Farke, one of the first transfer deals this summer saw Leeds lose one of their best defenders. Struijk joined Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee around £18 million.

Since then, the Whites have brought in Tarik Muharemovic as a direct replacement.

And per reports over the last 48 hours, the club could add another central defender. Leeds have agreed personal terms with Nico Elvedi, and are working on a transfer fee with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Pascal Struijk reveals reason behind Leeds United exit

Pascal Struijk’s departure early in the window came as a bit of a surprise.

As one of the core players in the team, it raised eyebrows when Brighton quickly wrapped up a deal for him. It was after the transfer that news came out about Struijk not willing to extend his contract with Leeds United.

This past week saw the Dutch defender speak to Brighton’s media.

In his interview, he pointed out that playing in Europe played a key part as to why he decided to ‘challenge’ himself and leave Elland Road.

“With the club achieving Europe, this is a step I wanted to take to develop as a player and challenge myself with European experience to become a better player,” he told the club’s website.

“It was a big factor. As a kid, you always dream about playing in international competitions. When you join a new club there are different factors, but this was a really important one. It’s a challenge I want to take on, and hopefully, we can be successful with it. Seeing the club achieve Europe was a big reason to join.”

READ MORE: Leeds transfer switch ready to proceed as medical could happen soon

Leeds could have Europe in their sights this season

It is early doors, but fans are excited with the football that the team have played in pre-season.

The belief around Elland Road is that with the right additions, the team can finish much higher than the 14th place they achieved last season.

There are still a few weeks before the transfer window closes and per reports, the club have a lot of targets lined up. Between now and the start of the new season, the team could have a new look.

Pascal Struijk could have stayed this year but chose to go to Brighton.

But the Leeds ownership have ambition, and their plan will have European competition in the club’s sights soon.