Brighton sign Leeds defender Pascal Struijk after Jan Paul van Hecke exit | OneFootball

Brighton have completed the signing of centre-back Pascal Struijk from Leeds United. The move follows Jan Paul van Hecke’s £52m switch to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.

Struijk was under contract to 2027. Leeds’ sale aids their PSR position and includes a sell-on clause.

The 26-year-old captained Daniel Farke’s side at times in 2025-26, made 34 league appearances and helped them stay up by eight points.

Signed from Ajax in 2018, he made his Championship debut the next season and played 196 games for Leeds.

A left-footed centre-back who has also filled in at left-back, he is more natural on the left of a pairing. At six ft three in, he is strong, progressive on the ball and dangerous in the air.

Team-mates have long labelled him a magnet at attacking set pieces. He did not score last season but is known for headed goals.

Fitness has been a concern and there are occasional errors. He started 33 of 38 league matches last term, though across 2023-24 and 2024-25 he began 53 of 92 in the Championship.

His heavy touch at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final was punished by Chelsea in a match settled by a single goal.

Brighton finished eighth in 2025-26, securing a place in next season’s Conference League.

Source: NY Times