"The likes of PSG were sniffing" - Pascal Struijk transfer worry raised for Leeds United | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds United fan pundit believes Pascal Struijk is the player they need to retain ahead of January.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leeds United will be desperate to hold of key players in January, with the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Willy Gnonto, and Pascal Struijk among their best players in 2024/25 following some big-money departures in the summer.

Promotion to the Premier League is the priority for Leeds this season after finishing third in the Championship with an impressive 90 points last season, which saw them narrowly miss out on automatic promotion.

A loss at Wembley in the play-off final to Southampton meant that player sales were always likely to occur, with Archie Gray, Georginio Rutter, and Crysencio Summerville moving on to the Premier League without Leeds.

Despite the disappointment and departures, there is an air of optimism surrounding Leeds as they enter the new season. In part, that is because Farke and co. have made some impressive signings to bolster his squad, and maintained the services of the aforementioned trio in their pursuit of second tier glory.

On paper, it appears as though they have a group of players that will be one of the favourites to go up automatically unless an injury crisis strikes. However, despite that becoming their reality, they still have a squad capable of winning promotion.

Defensive-minded midfielders are not plentiful, while centre-back numbers are thin on the ground, which is certainly an area they needed to address, with Josuha Guilavogui coming in to bolster them with his versatility across both areas.

Many of the vital players of Farke's side this season are already becoming clearer by the game, with new signings such as Ao Tanaka and Largie Ramazani hitting the ground running for a side with just one defeat in their opening 11 league games.

Leeds' United's most crucial player is Pascal Struijk

We asked FLW’s Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith for his thoughts on who the one key player is that Leeds simply cannot afford to lose in January, and he named Struijk as the one to retain alongside Gnonto.

He said: "I don't really think that Leeds are in any position to be under threat of losing any players during the January window.

"While most would still have a lingering fear that Willy Gnonto might leave, even though he signed a new deal not long ago, for me, the one to worry about in any sense is Pascal Struijk.

"He's the one vital player that I don't think this Leeds team can afford to lose. It is built around how good he is at both sides of the game.

"He's a centre-half who is not only very good in terms of his defensive ability — obviously, forgetting about what happened during the Watford game — but also, he has brilliance with the ball at his feet.

"It's something which would cause this Leeds team to crumble if it didn't have it.

"His contract, until 2027, puts us in a strong position for the time being, but given that last season the likes of PSG were sniffing around him, it does tell you all you need to know about how highly he is rated outside of just Leeds as well.

"Farke has previously called him the cornerstone of our future, and when you watch how consistent he now is, how much better he is than most centre-backs in the Championship, and how he has become a true leader as well, then you're inclined to believe Farke."

The importance of Pascal Struijk

Struijk is one of the best central defenders in the Championship and one of Farke's key players in pursuit of achieving promotion. In terms of his profile and skill-set, Struijk looks to get Leeds on the front foot and is one of the primary linchpins in Farke's set up.

He is elegant and classy with the ball at his feet, and retains that calm and composed nature both in and out of possession, whilst he is a player who is likely to deputise as Leeds' captain for the duration of Ampadu's absence between now and December at least.

Struijk is a crucial player for the Whites this season for a multitude of reasons, but primarily as one of the best ball-playing defenders in the division. This year, perhaps the most impressive thing is that it is difficult to think of someone with greater consistency of performance, and someone who has been pivotal at getting the ball moving in the build-up phase.

He has help in that regard with two attack-minded full-backs and Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell also capable ball progressors at the base of midfield, but Struijk is a player they will want to keep healthy and retain the services of from now until May.