According to Fabrizio Romano, Leeds United have agreed a new deal with defender Pascal Struijk.
Struijk will reportedly sign a 3-year extension, running till June 2027. The 23-year-old arrived as a teenager from Ajax in 2018 and has gone on to make over 70 appearances for the club. He has had a fantastic start to the season playing at left back.
Struijk’s versatility has seen him deployed in many roles since he joined from Ajax’s youth side: centre-back, left-back and even in midfield under Marcelo Bielsa. The Dutchman has played a lot of minutes at in a new role this season; a role Jesse Marsch believes he’s well suited for:
“It’s not his natural position, but Pascal still is mobile enough, …He’s intelligent, he’s technically good and he understands the tactics.”
“It gives us even more flexibility if we want to build with three, if we want to build with four,”
Struijk has been impressive this season, playing 13 games and scoring one goal and providing one assist. Only Robin Koch has played more minutes (1,215) than the Dutchman (1,164) among Leeds’ defenders.
Is Struijk worth a new deal?
The 23-year-old has risen through the ranks at Elland Road since arriving at the club, he has been praised by every manager he has played under so far. His attributes are outstanding for his age, and if he keeps developing at this rate, he will be one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
