Pascal Struijk left Leeds United last week to join Brighton ahead of next season. The deal was wrapped up pretty quickly, as the first official exit of the summer window was confirmed.
There were many reasons why Struijk decided to leave, with the main one being the pursuit of a ”new challenge”.
The defender’s stock has risen over the last year, and he has decided to take the opportunity to leave. Per reports, he was not keen on signing a renewal in the last 12 months of his contract.
Leeds still managed to get a decent fee off a very good first team player.
The Whites will be active in this offseason, as they hope to build a team good enough to survive another Premier League season.
Leeds United will not consider move for World Cup star
Leeds United have had their eye on a few targets over the last few weeks.
TEAMtalk reported that Juventus star Lloyd Kelly was on the radar, as well as Wolves star Ladislav Krejci. Leeds reportedly held initial talks with the Czech international before last season ended.
There was optimism that a deal could be done if the club submitted an official bid.
As per sources speaking exclusively to The Leeds Press, Leeds are set to end their interest in Krejci.
Wolves are demanding a fee of £40 million, which exceeds the £30 million valuation the 49ers were willing to consider. A deal is now off the table, and the Whites are already looking at alternatives.
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Pascal Struijk’s exit a big blow
Struijk’s exit was a bit of a surprise, but was expected following the news going around this season.
Losing the Dutch defender is a bigger blow than most think. He was signed for a low fee as a youngster and developed into a starting calibre player in the space of years.
Now that he is gone, the club will have to look for a replacement.
Leeds have not had to invest as much in the centerback position due to the good investment they made in Struijk, as well as Joe Rodon a few years ago.
The club have to find a player good enough to fill in for the departed starter. And the player must be good enough to be a long-term option at Elland Road as well. With the inflated prices in the transfer market, it will be a tough decision for the 49ers.
The pre-season starts in a few weeks, and Leeds will take a team with no proper goalie and a weaker defense. As usual, its painfuly slow when it comes to bringing players in, while players leave at lightning speed