Leeds United are currently preparing to launch a second attempt at earning promotion to the Premier League as another season in the Championship is on the horizon for the club.
The Whites lost in the play-off final at Wembley last month as they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton and there could now be some change to their squad over the months to come.
Daniel Farke looks set to be in the market for a new central defender in the upcoming summer transfer window to replace star titan Joe Rodon.
The Wales international spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur but the Whites did not have an option to make that deal permanent.
It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not they will be able to bring back the former Swansea colossus for a second stint at Elland Road after they failed to earn promotion out of the Championship.
The summer transfer window opens for business later this month and the Yorkshire-based outfit could make moves to bring in a new central defender instead of bringing Rodon back, should they fail to agree a deal with Spurs or the player decides to move elsewhere.
Leeds United's interest in promotion-winning defender
It was recently reported by Afton Bladet, via The 72, that the Whites are one of the clubs interested in signing St. Pauli central defender Eric Smith.
The German side won the 2. Bundesliga this season and will be moving up to the Bundesliga next term, as they achieved what Leeds failed to do and worked their way out of the second tier.
Fellow Championship side West Bromwich Albion were also said to be in the running to land the Swedish titan to bolster Carlos Corberan's defensive options.
However, the report did not reveal how much St. Pauli would demand for their star defender or if they would even be willing to entertain offers for him.
The German side are currently in the process of losing their head coach Fabian Hürzeler to Brighton & Hove Albion, per Fabrizio Romano, and that may have an impact on any potential deal.
St. Pauli may want to wait until they have a replacement manager in place so that they can judge the squad and make decisions on players, including Smith.
If Leeds wait it out and do eventually win the race to sign the 27-year-old colossus, though, then they could land a dream partner for Pascal Struijk at the back next season.
Pascal Struijk's injury-disrupted season for Leeds
The Dutch star missed the second half of the 2023/24 campaign through injury and that forced defensive midfielder Ethan Ampadu to deputise at centre-back next to Joe Rodon, which means that his return next term could allow the Welshman to move back onto the middle of the park.
A groin injury at the start of 2024, with his last appearance coming against Preston North End on Boxing Day, eventually ended the defender's chances of featuring during the club's promotion push.
However, Farke revealed that the left-footed ace will be back for pre-season after he had surgery on his groin injury in March of this year, which suggests that the Whites star will be fit for the start of the season.
During the first half of this season, though, Struijk showcased his quality in and out of possession on the pitch at Championship level for Leeds.
As you can see in the chart above, he ranked within the top 2% of his positional peers for progressive passes per 90 (6.61) and the top 10% for pass accuracy (89.9%).
This speaks to how forward-thinking and progressive he is in possession, which is crucial in building out from the back as the defender constantly looks to play forward efficiently and effectively, rather than being safe and playing sideways and backwards.
Appearances
23
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.1
Ball recoveries per game
6.1
Ground duel success rate
61%
Aerial duel success rate
61%
As you can see in the table above, Struijk was also a solid operator off the ball as he won the majority of his physical battles on the deck and in the air.
Leeds could now partner him with a fantastic right-sided centre-back to complement the left-footer by securing a deal to sign Smith this summer.
Why Leeds should sign Eric Smith
Firstly, he is a right-footed defender who would be deployed on the right side of a central defensive pairing, which is perfect for the left-footed Struijk, who plays on the left.
Smith, like the Dutchman, is also a ball-playing centre-back who likes to progress the play with his passes in a team that dominates the possession.
The 27-year-old ace ranked within the top 9% of 2. Bundesliga centre-backs for progressive passes per 90 (5.83) and the top 21% for passes attempted per 90 (66.92), which speaks to how ball-dominant he is.
This is backed up by German football consultant Adam Khan once dubbing him the "Sergio Busquets" of the 2. Bundesliga due to his ability to step into midfield and progress play with the ball at his feet, like a midfielder.
Alongside his fantastic ability in possession, Smith is also a solid defender, like Struijk, who can hold his own in duels on the deck and in the air.
Appearances
26
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.9
Ball recoveries per game
5.4
Ground duel success rate
66%
Aerial duel success rate
60%
As you can see in the table above, the Swedish ace won the majority of his battles against opposition attackers in his team's title-winning season in Germany.
Smith, therefore, is a centre-back who is as comfortable in possession as he is out of it, which makes him the perfect modern-day defender to fit into Farke's ball-dominant Leeds side.
It also makes him a dream partner for Struijk at the back for the Whites as they could form a terrific pairing as two players who can both dominate attackers whilst both being able to play out from the back effectively.
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