The January transfer window officially opened for business on Wednesday and Leeds United now have the chance to dip into the market to bolster their squad heading into the second half of the season.
Daniel Farke’s side are currently one point clear at the top of the Championship table, ahead of both Sheffield United and Burnley who are locked on 52 points, after 26 matches.
The Whites will have automatic promotion as their goal this season after they dropped into the play-offs and, ultimately, lost to Southampton at Wembley last term.
Farke will hope to avoid the lottery of the play-offs by finishing in the top two, hopefully in first, to go straight up to the Premier League after 46 games.
The German head coach, who won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City, could look to use the January transfer window to give his side the best chance of achieving automatic promotion.
However, he does already have a number of star players who are regularly contributing to the team’s success, hence why they are top of the league, and Pascal Struijk is one of them.
Pascal Struijk's performances this season
The left-footed central defender suffered a groin injury in December 2023 and ended up missing the final 27 matches in all competitions of the 2023/24 campaign.
That meant that Struijk did not play a part in Leeds dropping into the play-off places, rather than finishing in the top two, or in the 1-0 loss to Southampton in the final at Wembley.
The 25-year-old star returned from that injury in pre-season and immediately worked his way back into Farke’s starting XI, starting 24 of the club’s 26 league matches this term.
As you can see in the highlights above, Struijk scored his third goal of the Championship season to put Leeds 1-0 up against Blackburn Rovers from the penalty spot in his last outing.
The Dutch titan is prepared to step up when the Whites need him most, as shown by him having the composure to perform in a pressurised situation with two minutes to go at 0-0 in that match, but his teammates let him down 90 seconds later when Danny Batth equalised.
Struijk has also excelled defensively throughout the season so far and outperformed his centre-back partner Joe Rodon with his performances for the West Yorkshire outfit.
Appearances
26
24
Tackles + interceptions
1.4
2.9
Ball recoveries per game
4.0
4.2
Duel success rate
56%
60%
Error led to shot/goal
2
0
Penalties committed
1
0
As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman has been more dominant in winning duels and making interventions for Leeds, whilst also not making a single direct error, compared to Rodon’s three – including giving away a penalty away at Norwich.
Leeds could land a dream signing for Struijk and an upgrade on the Wales international by swooping to sign one of their reported targets in the January transfer window.
Leeds United's interest in Ligue 1 defender
French outlet Top Mercato reported last month that Leeds have already made an offer to sign Abdukodir Khusanov from RC Lens for a fee of €20m (£16.6m).
However, the Ligue 1 outfit are said to be looking for a fee within the region of €30m (£25m) in order to part ways with the impressive 20-year-old prospect, who has emerged as a key player this season.
The report added that Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, Newcastle United, and Manchester City are also showing an interest in the young star, along with French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
It is strange to see Leeds’ name mentioned alongside these European giants, as well as Premier League outfit Leicester, but they may feel that they could tempt him because of their ongoing push to get promoted back to the top-flight.
If the Whites have made an offer to sign the right-footed defender, Leeds could go down the route of an initial loan deal with the obligation for it to become permanent if they are promoted, which would provide a safety net for both parties if it does not work out.
However, Lens are demanding a huge sum of money for his services and may not want to send him out on loan with the prospect of potentially not getting any money for him in the summer.
Why Abdukodir Khusanov would be a dream for Pascal Struijk
Leeds should push to get a deal done for the £25m-rated star, whether that is this month or in the summer if they can secure promotion, as he could be a dream signing for Struijk at the heart of the defence.
The 20-year-old colossus has started 11 times in Ligue 1 for Lens this season and showcased his quality in and out of possession for the French outfit.
He currently ranks within the top 38% of centre-backs in the league for progressive passes per 90 (3.97), which shows that the youngster could be well-suited to Farke’s possession-based system and share the load with Struijk when it comes to playing out from the back.
Khusanov, who was described as a “future legend” of football in Uzbekistan by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has also proven himself to be a dominant defensive force at the back in the French top-flight this season and could come in as an upgrade on Rodon.
Appearances
25
13
Tackles + interceptions
1.4
3.2
Clearances per game
4.0
4.3
Duel success rate
56%
61%
Aerial duel success rate
54%
70%
Error led to shot/goal
2
0
Penalties committed
1
1
As you can see in the table above, the Lens star has won a higher percentage of his duels and been far more impressive in his aerial contests, which could improve Farke’s team from set-pieces – after they conceded from one against Blackburn.
Khusanov has also averaged more than twice as many tackles and interceptions per match, showing that he constantly looks to step in to win possession back for his side.
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Overall, Struijk could love playing next to the 20-year-old ace because he is comfortable passing out from the back and dominant defensively, which could make it easy for the Dutchman to play alongside him.