Leeds United central defender Pascal Strujk will have a decisive summer in his career at Elland Road due to his current contract situation.
The Dutch centre-back’s contract in West Yorkshire is currently due to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season, meaning he will be free to begin negotiations with teams outside England from January.
Football Insider reported last month that the club were set to hold talks with the left-footed ace over a potential new contract after the end of the Premier League season.
Leeds play their final game of the season against West Ham United on Sunday, so negotiations with Strujk could begin next week or in the coming weeks.
If the 26-year-old defender does not choose to put pen and paper to an extension at Elland Road, the club may need to consider signing him this summer.
Leeds begin contract negotiations with Bundesliga star
Strujk may have scored twice in the 2-1 win over Sunderland in the Championship last season in a Leeds shirt, but he is far from irreplaceable.
The former Ajax talent has enjoyed a good season, winning 56% of his duels in 33 Premier League games, but the club are currently looking for a suitable player to defend Daniel Farke.
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United have made new contacts to begin talks with Union Berlin central defender Danilo Doek about a move to West Yorkshire this summer.
The Dutch defender is due to become a free agent at the end of June when his contract with the Bundesliga side expires, and Los Blancos are in talks to bring him to England on a free transfer.
However, the paper claims that German giants Borussia Dortmund are also interested in signing the 27-year-old giant, meaning Leeds face stiff competition for his signature.
TEAMtalk added that Farke also wanted Dokki when he was manager of Norwich City and believes he is the ideal player to strengthen his back three ahead of next season’s Premier League.
How signing Danilo Doek softens the blow of losing Pascal Strujk
If Leeds can beat Dortmund to sign the Union Berlin star this summer, the possibility of losing Strujk due to his contract situation will not be such a huge blow unless he signs an extension.
Indeed, even if Strujk remains at Elland Road, his compatriot could struggle to start on the bench, as signing Doyek would improve the squad and Joe Rodon, Xhaka Buyol and Doyek could emerge as a viable trio.
The Bundesliga star’s form in 2025/26 suggests that he will be able to contribute more to the team than his fellow Dutchman, as he is an inveterate defender, with a high rate of wins both on the ground and in the air.
25/26 season | Doeki (BL) | Struik (PL_ |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 34 | 33 |
the goal | 5 | 0 |
Tackles + Interceptions per game | 2.5 | 2.0 |
Number of dribble breakthroughs per game | 0.4 times | 0.5x |
Duels won per match | 6.4 | 5.1 |
Clearance per game | 5.6 | 6.2 |
Ground duel success rate | 57% | 56% |
Aerial duel success rate | 66% | 56% |
Doek will emerge as a big upgrade over Strujk, especially in the air, but this is an important point to note as Leeds have conceded the sixth-most goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season (15).
Union Berlin finished the Bundesliga season with the third-fewest goals conceded from set pieces (eight), thanks in part to the Dutchman’s aerial dominance. This suggests that replacing Strujk with him will improve the team’s set-piece defense.
The soon-to-be free agent has put his aerial skills to good use at the other end of the pitch, scoring five goals in the Bundesliga this term, but Strujk is yet to score in the top flight this season.
Described as a “goal-scoring threat” by Bundesliga journalist Archie Lind-Tutt, Doeki proved to be a major threat in the opposition box when attacking set-pieces.
His performances in Germany’s top flight, one of Europe’s major leagues, suggest he has the qualities to be an immediate asset at the heart of the defence, should Leeds be able to sign him ahead of their game against Dortmund this summer.
Despite being primarily right-handed, the 27-year-old Doek can play in all three positions in the back three and could be a significant upgrade over Strujk both defensively and offensively on the left side of the back three.
It will be up to Farke and Leeds to be as convincing as possible for the Union Berlin star to choose Elland Road as his next destination at the end of June.
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Leeds United are desperately trying to improve their chances of survival in the Premier League this summer.
