Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk is facing a huge summer at Elland Road as uncertainty continues to grow around his future at the club.
The Dutch centre-back’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the 2026/27 season, meaning he will be eligible to open talks with clubs outside England from January if no extension is agreed beforehand.
Reports from Football Insider last month suggested Leeds are preparing fresh contract discussions with the 26-year-old once the Premier League campaign officially concludes.
With Leeds set to face West Ham United on Sunday in their final game of the season, negotiations over a new deal could begin in the coming days.
However, if Struijk decides against signing an extension, Leeds may be forced to cash in this summer rather than risk losing him for less value later on.
Leeds reopen talks for Bundesliga defender
Despite enjoying a solid campaign — including winning 56% of his duels across 33 Premier League appearances — Struijk is not viewed as untouchable.
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United have reopened discussions over a move for Danilho Doekhi, who is set to leave 1. FC Union Berlin on a free transfer when his contract expires in June.
The towering Dutch defender is attracting serious interest, with Borussia Dortmund also pushing to secure his signature this summer.
The report also states that Leeds boss Daniel Farke has admired Doekhi for years, dating back to his time managing Norwich City, and sees him as an ideal fit for Leeds’ back-three system next season.
Why Doekhi could be a major upgrade on Struijk
If Leeds manage to beat Dortmund to Doekhi’s signing, losing Struijk would become far less damaging.
Even if Struijk remains at Elland Road, Doekhi’s arrival could still push him down the pecking order, with Joe Rodon, Jaka Bijol, and Doekhi potentially forming Farke’s preferred defensive trio.
The numbers from the 2025/26 campaign strongly suggest the Union Berlin star would represent an upgrade — especially defensively.
Doekhi outperformed Struijk in both ground and aerial duels, with his dominance in the air standing out most. That improvement could be crucial considering Leeds have conceded the sixth-highest number of set-piece goals in the Premier League this season, shipping 15 in total.
By comparison, Union Berlin ended the Bundesliga campaign with just eight set-piece goals conceded — the third-best record in Germany’s top flight — thanks in part to Doekhi’s commanding aerial presence.
The 27-year-old also offers far more attacking threat from dead-ball situations. He scored five Bundesliga goals this season, while Struijk failed to register once in the Premier League.
Bundesliga reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt even labelled Doekhi a “goal-scoring menace” because of his effectiveness in the opposition box during set-pieces.
His performances in Germany suggest he has the quality and experience to walk straight into Leeds’ starting XI and immediately strengthen Farke’s defence.
Although naturally right-footed, Doekhi is versatile enough to operate across all three centre-back roles, making him an ideal option for Leeds’ tactical setup.
Now it is up to Leeds and Farke to convince the Union Berlin defender that Elland Road should be his next destination ahead of rival interest from Dortmund.
