Three Leeds defenders have been identified as potential replacements for Struijk
With Pascal Struijk set to leave, Leeds United have now identified Danilho Doekhi as their front-runner, along with two other defenders.
Struijk's time at Elland Road is coming to an end, with Leeds opting to cash in on the defender, with one year left on his contract, and a £20m move to Brighton on the way.
The 26-year-old was one of Daniel Farke's most important players in the Premier League last season, playing 34 games, which means it is important to bring in someone in a strong position, while Union Berlin's Doekhi is one of the main targets, after starting every Bundesliga game.
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Football FanCast verdict |
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Honesty |
Struijk's departure has forced Leeds into the transfer market, with the Dutchman playing a key role in avoiding relegation last season, playing 2,937 minutes in the Premier League, the club's third-highest all-time tally. |
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Finance |
Doekhi will be available on free agency when his contract expires this month, meaning he will be included in Farke's squad for a cheap fee. |
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Understanding |
Like Struijk, the Union Berlin star was a key player for his club last season, accumulating 3,060 minutes of game time in the Bundesliga. An average of 8.7 defensive tackles out of 90 put him third in the German team. |
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Impact |
Given his exploits at Union Berlin, the 28-year-old is well placed to make an immediate impact at Elland Road. Although he is right-footed, the Dutchman is likely to replace his team-mate, although Wolverhampton Wanderers' Ladislav Krejci, who is naturally left-footed, remains an option. |
Leeds identify three important goals to replace Pascal Struijk
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Doekhi has now emerged as one of Leeds' main points to replace Struijk, along with Krejci and Borussia Monchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi.
The Union Berlin star will be available on a free transfer soon, but he is also attracting a lot of interest from German and Italian clubs.
Danilho Doekhi can be dangerous in both boxes for Leeds
The 27-year-old impressed against Bayern Munich last season, scoring in a 2-2 draw, which was later described as a “scoring risk” by journalist Archie Rhind-Tutt.
In fact, the centre-back ended the campaign with seven goals in 37 appearances in all competitions, indicating that he could be an attacking force for Leeds.
Most importantly for a defender, the Bundesliga star is also strong in the air, winning 156 aerial duels in the league last season, with a success rate of 65.8%, while also averaging the second highest number of blocks with 90 (0.7) in the team.
Doekhi has featured in every Bundesliga game for Union Berlin over the past two seasons, highlighting his consistency, and could be the perfect replacement for Struijk.
Why Leeds should regret selling Pascal Struijk's upgrade for just £4m
Leeds United have already let go of potential star development Pascal Struijk for Daniel Farke.
