Leeds United may entertain transfer offers for Pascal Struijk this summer. The club has to weigh up whether it’s the right decision or not, as a result.
Now that the Premier League season has come to a close, United have to attend to business ahead of the summer window opening next month.
Exit speculation is already building for certain players, including Pascal Struijk. The Athletic revealed recently that, while the club would like the centre-back to stay, his position here is uncertain.
His contract runs until 2027, and Leeds expect interest to reignite after knocking back approaches in previous summer windows.
Here, I look at two pros and two cons to Leeds weighing up Struijk’s summer exit…
Pro: Leeds United can sell Pascal Struijk to drastically boost our summer budget
Paraag Marathe’s open letter to the Leeds fans was a very clear indication that the club will make tough decisions on some players.
Included in that is perhaps selling the odd first team player in pursuit of growing our transfer budget. Of course, that doesn’t mean selling our most important players, but those who are able to be replaced.
Struijk has been really important to us, but he’s part of that bracket: good but replaceable.
Selling him for a big fee this summer will allow Leeds a much greater margin to spend money across the entire squad. If the 49ers think it’s worth that trade-off, then expect his exit.
Con: Pascal Struijk is very good and Leeds United will find him tough to replace
The flip-side of selling Struijk for a big fee is this: he’s potentially being sold for a big fee because he’s very good.
And, when you sell a very good player, finding the same quality in the market is a challenge. We’ve seen links to Ladislav Krejci from Wolves, and that suggests we’re fishing for the right sort of player.
However, as we learned in 22/23 when selling Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, replacing them is often easier said than done.
At least this time, we’re not being ran into the ground by Victor Orta’s transfer policy.
Pro: Leeds United must improve selling assets at peak value
Marathe’s statement also gives a big clue into the club’s methodology in the transfer window going forward too.
Not only are we looking to boost the budget by cashing in, but the club simply have to improve at selling assets when the time is right.
Illan Meslier is the prime example. In 2021, he was one of the most highly-rated goalkeepers in Europe. Next month, he leaves for free.
Struijk joined Leeds for free in 2018 as an U21 signing, and therefore represents Leeds’ biggest margin for profit. This summer is when he’s going to be worth the most, and the club might see that as the right time to pull the trigger.
Con: Losing Pascal Struijk could harm Leeds United’s defensive stability
The last con for me is that taking out our most consistent defender from this season could have rough implications for the season ahead.
Struijk has been here through everything even from before Marcelo Bielsa. Letting someone of that longevity exit leaves a sizeable hole needing to be plugged.
Ever since our shift to a back five, the partnership of Struijk, Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon has been immense, and having that next season could effectively guarantee we survive again.
However, selling on third of that trio leaves Leeds in need of a replacement that stops us from derailing that stability.
There’s options out there that could replace (and improve on) Struijk. But, the defence has been the bedrock of our survival, and it may be seen as a risk to alter it.
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