Leeds Fans Fuming: Club Sold Future £50m Star and Struijk’s Ideal Replacement for Peanuts
As Leeds United continue their push for promotion, it’s fair to suggest that the defensive unit could prove pivotal in their bid to return to the Premier League.
While it was 56-cap Wales international Daniel James who sealed a narrow 1-0 win over Middlesbrough recently, the real backbone of that victory lay with the commanding centre-back pairing of Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu, who helped secure Leeds’ 22nd clean sheet of the season.
Although Daniel Farke will be pleased with both the clean sheet and the three points at the Riverside, the ongoing injury concerns surrounding club captain Pascal Struijk remain a significant worry.
Once again sidelined with a serious knock, the 25-year-old seems plagued by constant fitness setbacks.
Struijk’s Role at Leeds
Last season, Struijk managed just 25 appearances across all competitions due to a recurring groin issue.
Now, reports suggest he could miss the remainder of this campaign with a suspected foot fracture—an unfortunate blow for a defender who’s chipped in with five vital goals in 35 Championship outings, including a match-winning brace against Sunderland in February.
Beyond his contributions in front of goal, Struijk has been a defensive rock, playing a key role in 14 of Leeds’ clean sheets.
But with him out, and depth in central defence already thin, Farke will be hoping Ampadu can continue stepping up in the short term.
Leeds’ Centre-Back Dilemma
The decision to let a rising defensive talent leave last summer for just £4m now looks increasingly questionable. In retrospect, Leeds may have let a future £50m star slip through their fingers.
Charlie Cresswell, who was sold to Ligue 1 side Toulouse, could have been the ideal long-term replacement for Struijk.
The young centre-back had drawn interest from Torino not too long ago, suggesting that Leeds should have been planning for the future by keeping extra defensive reinforcements on hand.
Despite failing to establish himself as a regular for his boyhood club, Cresswell impressed on loan at Millwall in the 2022/23 season—an “excellent” spell according to then-manager Gary Rowett.
Like Struijk, he showcased a knack for goals, netting five times in 30 appearances.
Yet despite his potential, the Preston-born defender was handed just 14 senior appearances before his £4m move to France materialized. That switch, though somewhat unexpected, has seemingly paid off.
Cresswell’s performances in Ligue 1, as highlighted by his FBref metrics, compare favourably to those of AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen—one of Europe’s most talked-about young defenders and reportedly valued at £50m.
Not only does Cresswell hold his own statistically alongside Huijsen, but in some key defensive areas, he’s even outperformed Struijk.
In hindsight, had Leeds been a little more patient, they might already have had a ready-made successor to Struijk—one who could have significantly bolstered their promotion charge down the final stretch.
