Leeds are opening new talks to sign a free agent

Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk is facing a difficult summer in his career at Elland Road due to his current contract situation.

The Dutch defender’s contract at West Yorkshire currently expires at the end of the 2026/27 campaign, meaning he will be free to start talking to clubs outside of England from January onwards.

Football Insider reported last month that the club will hold talks with the left-back over a potential new contract after the end of the Premier League season.

Leeds play West Ham United on Sunday in the final game of the campaign, meaning talks with Struijk could begin next week, or in the coming weeks.

If the 26-year-old defender chooses not to sign an extension at Elland Road, the club may have to consider signing him this summer.

Leeds open talks to sign Bundesliga star

Struijk, who stood out in a Leeds shirt and may have scored twice in the 2-1 win over Sunderland in the Championship last season, cannot be replaced.

The former Ajax talent has had a strong campaign, winning 56% of his 33 Premier League games, but the club are now looking for a player who can better defend Daniel Farke.

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United have made renewed contact to open talks with Union Berlin defender Danilho Doekhi over a move to West Yorkshire this summer.

The Dutch defender is expected to become a free agent at the end of June when his contract with the Bundesliga club expires, and the Whites are in talks to bring him to England on a free transfer.

However, the report claims that German giants Borussia Dortmund are also interested in a deal for the 27-year-old colossus, meaning Leeds face stiff competition for his signature.

TEAMtalk adds that Farke was also interested in Doekhi when he was in charge of Norwich City and that he considers the defender to be the right player to strengthen his back ahead of next season’s Premier League campaign.

How the signing of Danilho Doekhi can soften the loss of Pascal Struijk

If Leeds can beat Dortmund to the signing of the Union Berlin star this summer, the potential loss of Struijk due to the nature of his contract if he doesn’t sign an extension won’t hurt as much.

In fact, even if Struijk stays at Elland Road, signing Doekhi would improve the squad and perhaps leave his teammates fighting to start on the bench, as Joe Rodon, Jaka Bijol, and Doekhi could emerge as the preferred trio.

The Bundesliga star’s form in the 2025/26 campaign suggests he will contribute more to the club than his Dutch counterpart as an outside full-back, having won a higher percentage of his ground and aerial competitions.

Doekhi will come as a huge improvement on Struijk in aerial contests, in particular, which is important to note as Leeds have conceded their sixth set-piece goal (15) in the Premier League this season.

Union Berlin finished the Bundesliga campaign with the third-fewest goals conceded (eight), partly due to the Dutchman’s aerial dominance, suggesting that replacing Struijk could improve the team’s defence.

The soon-to-be-released player also uses his aerial prowess to excel at the other end of the pitch, scoring five goals in the Bundesliga this season, while Struijk is yet to score a single goal in the top flight this season.

Doekhi, who was described as a “scorer” by Bundesliga journalist Archie Rhind-Tutt, proved he can pose a major threat in the opposition box when attacking set pieces.

His performances in Germany’s top flight, one of Europe’s biggest leagues, suggest he has the quality to slot in as Leeds’ fastest star at the heart of the defense if they can snap him up ahead of Dortmund this summer.

Doekhi would be a huge upgrade on Struijk defensively and offensively on the left side of the back three, as the 27-year-old can play in all three positions behind the third, despite being more on the right.

It is now down to Farke and Leeds to make sure as they can that the Union Berlin star chooses Elland Road as his next destination at the end of June.