Brighton have completed the signing of Pascal Struijk, but Leeds United’s confirmation of a sell-on clause gives the deal a more interesting commercial edge than a straightforward defensive addition.
Brighton confirmed Struijk has signed a five-year contract, with the 26-year-old defender joining after eight-and-a-half years at Leeds. Albion’s official latest-news page also lists the deal as: “Albion sign Pascal Struijk from Leeds United.”
Leeds confirmed the permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee, with a future sell-on clause included. That protects their upside if Brighton’s recruitment model turns Struijk into another appreciating Premier League asset.
Brighton Add Insurance And Upside
The football logic is clear. Struijk brings Premier League experience, left-sided balance and the aerial profile Brighton have been chasing throughout a summer already dominated by centre-back churn.
Leeds’ own statement underlined the wider context. Struijk had entered the final year of his contract, while Leeds said his sale helped the club remain within PSR limits after they kept key players last summer to secure Premier League survival.
The financial structure matters too. A sell-on clause trims Leeds’ long-term risk, but it also underlines why Brighton were comfortable moving decisively: if Struijk settles under Fabian Hurzeler, Albion get an immediate defender with future value still attached to the deal.
That makes this a more layered move than the initial fee alone. ReadBrighton has already covered how Struijk’s first interview sharpened Brighton’s defensive plan, but the Leeds clause shows the negotiation itself was built around future value, not just short-term cover.
For Brighton, that is the sweet spot: plug a defensive need now, keep the age curve manageable and retain the possibility that another smartly timed deal grows beyond its opening valuation.
