Leeds admit Struijk sale to Brighton was necessary to avoid Premier League points deduction

Leeds United have publicly acknowledged that the £20m sale of defender Pascal Struijk to Brighton & Hove Albion on 30 June was essential to keep the club compliant with Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules, sparing them a potential points deduction.

The timing of the deal was critical. Struijk’s transfer was completed on the final day of the three-year PSR accounting window ending 30 June 2026, and Leeds are now confident they will pass the league’s financial assessment. Without the sale, the club admitted they would have been in breach of the regulations.

The financial pressure stemmed from Leeds’ decision last summer to spend more than £100m on new signings — including Anton Stach, Lukas Nmecha, Noah Okafor, Sean Longstaff, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Lucas Perri, Jaka Bijol, James Justin, and Sebastiaan Bornauw — as they assembled a squad capable of surviving in the top flight following promotion.

In a club statement, Leeds defended the strategy: “Last summer, the decision was taken to keep all key players at Elland Road, to give the club the best possible chance of Premier League survival, with the expectation that player sales would be needed to remain PSR compliant over a three-year accounting window ending 30th June 2026.”

The gamble ultimately paid off on the pitch. Leeds finished 14th, losing only five of their last 25 league games to end the season eight points clear of relegated West Ham, and also reached the FA Cup semi-final. The club argued that the improved prize money and commercial income from that run, combined with the single sale of Struijk, was enough to bring them within PSR limits.

Struijk, 26, had been offered an improved contract at Elland Road but chose to move on. Brighton were actively seeking defensive cover after selling centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke to Tottenham for £52m.

With the PSR issue resolved, Leeds are now turning their attention to squad reinforcement. Harry Wilson is set to arrive on a free transfer from Fulham, while Julian Brandt, departing Borussia Dortmund, is also a reported target.