European club cool interest in Leeds United stand-in captain despite transfer window opportunity

Leeds United’s Pascal Struijk will not be leaving Elland Road this autumn, despite previous reports this summer linking Belgian side Club Brugge with a move for the Dutch defender.
By Joe Donnohue
Published 5th Sep 2023, 12:55 GMT
Updated 5th Sep 2023, 13:26 GMT
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The transfer window for Belgian clubs remains open until Wednesday, September 6, meaning teams in Belgium can still trade players until their midweek deadline.

One side unlikely to make a late move are Club Brugge, who have missed out on the Champions League group stage this season and will instead play in UEFA’s tertiary competition, the Europa Conference League.

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According to Het Nieuwsblad, missing out on the Champions League means Club find themselves with fewer financial resources to work with in 2023/24 compared to previous seasons in which they did qualify for Europe’s premium club competition, which was the case in three of the last four years.

SALFORD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Pascal Struijk of Leeds United looks on during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Salford City and Leeds United at Peninsula Stadium on August 29, 2023 in Salford, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)SALFORD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Pascal Struijk of Leeds United looks on during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Salford City and Leeds United at Peninsula Stadium on August 29, 2023 in Salford, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)
SALFORD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Pascal Struijk of Leeds United looks on during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Salford City and Leeds United at Peninsula Stadium on August 29, 2023 in Salford, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)

The 18-time Belgian champions were linked with Leeds defender Struijk earlier in the window but the centre-back gave no indication a return to Europe would interest him, nor did Leeds ever intend to sell the 24-year-old.

Struijk has started six of Leeds’ seven matches in all competitions this season, coming on as a half-time substitute in the Carabao Cup First Round victory over Shrewsbury Town.

As quoted by SportWitness, Brugge’s situation is as follows: “The Jupiler Pro League side have decided not to bring in more players even though the window is still open. That’s partly because they failed to qualify for the Champions League and therefore finances are now tighter.

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"In addition to this, Club Brugge don’t want to block the development of the young duo of Jorne Spileers and Joel Ordóñez. Should they still need a new centre-back, the report says they could look to strengthen that position in January.”

Belgian-born defender Struijk remains contracted at Elland Road until 2027 and has amassed over 100 appearances for Leeds since joining from Dutch giants AFC Ajax as a teenager. Struijk also wore the captain’s armband in Leeds’ Carabao Cup Second Round tie versus Salford City late last month, standing in for vice-captain Luke Ayling who was an unused substitute and the injured Liam Cooper.

Related topics:Pascal StruijkElland RoadChampions LeagueLuke Ayling