Pascal Struijk leaving Leeds United came as a bit of a surprise over a week ago. The defender joined Brighton, in a deal which was wrapped up pretty quickly.
Fans knew that heading into the summer, the Dutchman was into the final year of his contract.
He had drawn interest from Premier League clubs after the season he had. So when Brighton came in with a decent bid and got the deal sealed in a couple of days, there were mixed opinions.
It later emerged that there were factors behind the Struijk deal.
Mainly the fact that the Whites needed transfer revenue for their PSR books ahead of the June 30 deadline. Leeds can now breathe a sigh of relief as the move has fulfilled it’s purpose.
Leeds United have plans after Struijk sale
Losing Pascal Struijk is a big blow for Leeds United on the pitch.
For a player who arrived years ago for a low fee, he developed and became an outstanding first team player. The Whites had him playing at a very high level on an affordable contract.
Now that he is gone, the team need to replace him – something that will not be cheap in today’s market.
Mail Sport are reporting that Leeds will sell another center back this summer; which could mean one of Sebastiaan Bornauw or Max Wober. The duo had very different seasons last year.
Bornauw was rarely used, but was a decent backup option when he played.
Wober was out on loan and was injured for the whole season, which was a major reason why Werder Bremen turned down the chance to sign him on a permanent deal.
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49ers could spend big on defenders this summer
Losing Pascal Struijk is one thing, but selling another defender reveals Leeds’ hand this summer.
Depending on the formation Farke plays, the club will use two or three centerbacks. This means that the club will need to sign at least two defenders if Wober or Bornauw leaves.
As things stand, Rodon and Bijol are the only first team defenders available.
Wober and Bornauw are not guaranteed to stay, and if one leaves; that is just three options in the heart of defence next season.
Bringing in quality centerbacks to play in the Premier League will cost a premium. So fans must have this in their mind when signings are being made in the summer window.
Lets give everyone away, ridiculous transfer window again get one free giveaway several!
Keep this up and all we will be left is the name Leeds United.