Pascal Struijk was adamant on leaving, with Leeds United obliging amid their risky PSR standing
07:00, 14 Jul 2026
Leeds United remain at the table for Shea Charles
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Leeds United remain at the table for Shea Charles(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
The exit of Pascal Struijk did not leave those at Leeds United surprised. This summer was always going to be a juncture for the centre-back given he had a year left on his deal; either sign a renewal or be sold on.
The Dutchman was the subject of at least one approach last summer and comments in January hinted at which way he was leaning. “From my side, there was something I would have liked to do,” he told Dutch media.
“But the three parties: me, the club, and the other club, all had to reach an agreement in the end. If that doesn’t happen, then I simply have a contract and I’ll do my job.”
After a season of sustained game time and growth, Leeds had wanted to keep Struijk, whom Daniel Farke had ringfenced last summer as one of his core players that must be kept. But this time around, the player had his heart set.
Leeds had known Struijk had intended to leave for some time prior to his exit, having informed the club of his desire for a new challenge after the Whites tabled a new contract offer at the end of the season.
The terms would have seen a substantial increase in wages but the 26-year-old was clear on what he wished to do. With just a yearremaining on his existing contract and the club needing to make a sale before the end of the Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR) window anyway, the exit to Brighton was sanctioned.
In fact, Brighton were the only club to have come in for Struijk, who has missed 30 games through injury over the past three seasons, albeit only two in the last two.
The deal for Struijk, which could rise from £18m to £20m with add-ons, represents a big profit for a player signed from Ajax’s academy for a small fee in 2018.
However, but for the money earned through Leeds’ FA Cup run to the semi-finals and 14th-place Premier League finish, the club would have had to have made more player sales ahead of the final PSR deadline on June 30.
Pascal Struijk has 196 senior appearances for Leeds United
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Pascal Struijk made 196 senior appearances for Leeds United(Image: Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Why this was the case is not clear but it will at least in part have to do with the little accumulated through sales over last summer and why Paraag Marathe has made clear that, especially under the new spending rules, exits should be expected.
The now-active Squad Cost Ratio rules are leaving Leeds with a marginally tighter spending scope this summer, with the benefit of the new framework only set to be enjoyed in future years.
As such, Leeds must - as ever - cut their cloth accordingly this summer and their interest in Tarik Muharemovic is a case in point. While Leeds have not made any formal advances at the time of writing, Sassuolo’s price tag hope of £34m lays out the kind of boardroom battles that lie before them.
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While Leeds, should they wish to pursue their interest, will inevitably look to lower that asking price, it raises the question of what portion of the transfer budget - thought to be around the same as last year’s window, in which £100m was spent - they can afford to spend on key areas.
Centre-back has risen in the priority ranks amid Struijk’s exit, with a goalkeeper firmly a core focus too with Karl Darlow set to cross the forsaken divide to Manchester. Harry Wilson’s free arrival means one box is ticked for no fee but other areas need attention too.
Leeds are still at the table for Shea Charles and appear to still be frontrunners. But they have their crunch point and are unafraid to walk away from negotiations should they deem them fruitless. The board will have their price cap limit for Charles, Muharemovic and other targets.
Conversely, Leeds will nevertheless have to spend big on at least one area this summer and they will need to decide which players are worth paying that bit extra for. Yet it is clear that they cannot go overboard.
The club acquired a number of bargains last summer with two free signings who scored 22 goals between them plus the vital James Justin and Gabriel Gudmundsson costing just £8m and £10m. And Leeds were still hard pressed to meet the PSR cap.
Last summer as a newly-promoted side was hard work but there should be no illusions that this window will be any easier, despite the change of emphasis of quality over quantity.
Leeds need to be just as bold and back themselves, leaning on the credit in the bank they have built up from last season’s successes. The stock of the club is rising and therefore so will the asking price of the type of targets they are trying to get.
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That’s just the nature of the beast. United’s job is to tame it to their whim as best they can, balancing ambition against risk. That’s what the chase of Charles and potential pursuit of Muharemovic boil down to. Fortune normally favours the brave.
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