How Leeds plan to replace Pascal Struijk quickly

Leeds United fans may have been left shocked and surprised when news broke on Saturday that Pascal Struijk was set to leave Elland Road.

Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion have agreed a £20m deal with the Whites to sign the Dutch defender this summer.

His current contract at West Yorkshire runs out at the end of the 2026/27 campaign, meaning the club could risk losing him on a free transfer if they choose not to sign him.

Struijk is said to be looking to explore a new challenge in his career, having spent his entire senior career at Elland Road to date, and is now set to move to Brighton.

It is painful for Daniel Farke’s side because the left-back started 33 of the club’s 38 Premier League games last season, helping them avoid relegation from the Championship.

Leeds United are in talks to sign the Bundesliga defender

No player in the club had more clearances than Struijk (207) in the top flight in the 2025/26 campaign, and he ranked among the top ten players in the division for clearances.

Although the Dutchman is of great importance to Farke, the club are reportedly looking for a player who could arrive at Elland Road as their best centre-back.

According to BILD, as reported by Sport Witness, Leeds United are interested in signing defender Nico Elvedi from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites have already made a £7.3m bid for the Switzerland international, which has been rejected by the German club, as Farke looks to reunite with his former protege.

It adds that Leeds are the only club negotiating and making offers to sign the 29-year-old star, whose contract at Gladbach expires at the end of next season.

The update does not reveal how much the Bundesliga side are willing to accept for the Swiss keeper in the final year of his contract, or if the Whites are willing to make another offer for his services.

Why Nico Elvedi would be better than Leeds’ Pascal Struijk

There is no doubt that Leeds need to find a player who can replace Struijk quickly and hit the mark in the Premier League next season, given how important he has been to the team under Farke.

That is why signing an incredibly experienced defender, like Elvedi, would be a smart move for the club, as he would not arrive at Elland Road as an inexperienced player who would need time to adapt and develop as a defender.

In fact, the 29-year-old star’s performances for Bundesliga side Gladbach suggest he could join as a better option at the back than Farke’s Struijk next season.

Elvedi bested Struijk in almost every key defensive metric at league level last season, and what stands out immediately is how many clearances he made in the Bundesliga.

Although the Leeds star ranks 10th in the Premier League in clearances made, with 207, the Swiss has led the Bundesliga with 270 clearances in 34 games in this division.

The Whites must be confident that he can carry his form into the Premier League because he is an experienced defender, having played 318 games in the Bundesliga and 70 games for Switzerland, which means he has been there and done it at the highest level.

His defensive stats for Gladbach suggest that he will improve Leeds’ defense as Struijk’s replacement by making more interventions to stop the opposition’s attacks, while he is also very strong in duels to win the ball back to his team.

Elvedi also completed 92% of his attempts in Germany’s top flight last season, compared to Struijk’s 88% in the Premier League, and could be a reliable player with the ball at his feet in the way Farke wants his side to play.

Therefore, the Whites should make a second bid for the Swiss player in the coming days because bringing him in could soften the blow of losing the Dutchman.