Leeds United are moving quickly to address their defensive needs after Pascal Struijk’s impending departure to Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion.
Brighton have agreed a £20m deal with the Whites to sign the Dutch central defender, ending his time at Elland Road after a career spent entirely at the club.
Struijk’s contract in West Yorkshire was due to expire at the end of the 2026/27 season, leaving Leeds at risk of losing him for nothing if they did not act.
The defender is said to want a new challenge in his career, and he is now closing in on completing his move to the south coast club.
His departure represents a significant loss for Daniel Farke’s side, with Struijk having started 33 of Leeds’ 38 Premier League matches last season as they avoided relegation.
No player in the Leeds squad made more clearances than Struijk in the top flight last season, with the Dutchman registering 207 to rank inside the division’s top ten.
Leeds have wasted little time in identifying a replacement, with reports from BILD, as relayed by Sport Witness, linking the club to Borussia Monchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi.
The Whites have already made an opening offer of around £7.3m for the Switzerland international, though Gladbach have rejected that initial bid.
Elvedi, who is 29 years old, has a contract with the German club that is due to expire at the end of next season, which could work in Leeds’ favour during negotiations.
Leeds are reported to be the only club currently in talks with Gladbach over signing the Swiss defender, giving them a clear run at securing the deal.
The move would also represent a reunion for Elvedi and Farke, with the Leeds manager having previously worked with the centre-back during his time in the Bundesliga.
Elvedi’s numbers from last season suggest he could actually improve Leeds’ defensive unit rather than simply replicate what Struijk provided at the back.
While Struijk made 207 clearances in the Premier League last season to rank tenth in the division, Elvedi led the entire Bundesliga with 270 clearances across 34 appearances.
The Swiss defender also outperformed Struijk in tackles per game, interceptions per game, ground duel success rate, and the number of times he was dribbled past last season.
Elvedi recorded a ground duel success rate of 67 percent compared to Struijk’s 55 percent, highlighting how dominant he was in one-on-one defensive situations throughout the campaign.
His ability on the ball also stands out, with Elvedi completing 92 percent of his attempted passes in the Bundesliga compared to Struijk’s 88 percent completion rate in the Premier League.
With 318 Bundesliga appearances and 70 caps for Switzerland, Elvedi arrives with the kind of top-level experience that should help him adapt quickly to the demands of English football.
Leeds must now return with an improved offer to land Elvedi, as securing his signature would go a long way toward softening the blow of losing Struijk this summer.