Pascal Struijk explains Georginio Rutter role in £20m Leeds United transfer exit — YEP 1/7/26

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By Kyle Newbould

Pascal Struijk’s decision to join Brighton was impacted by talks with former Leeds United teammate Georginio Rutter.

Struijk signed a five-year deal at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday following the agreement of a £20million deal with Leeds. Elland Road chiefs will receive an initial £18m, with another £2m of potential add-ons and the insertion of a sell-on clause. His sale before the June 30 accounting deadline helped keep the Whites from breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules.

Fresh contract terms were on the table for Struijk, whose previous Leeds deal expired in 2027, but his decision was to seek a new challenge elsewhere. At Brighton, he will reunite with Rutter, the pair spending 18 months together at Elland Road before the attacking midfielder’s £40m move to the south coast in 2024.

"Of course, I know Georgie," Struijk told Sussex World. "I've seen some stuff about the group and Georgie has told me a lot of stories, which I'm excited to get started and get to know everyone and we'll have a good time together.

"Me and Georgie were good friends and we had some good times together and it was very nice to play with him because he's a top player. So for me, it's nice to see a familiar face, probably can show me around the city a little bit. He told me great things about the club, so I'm excited to get started."

Struijk had also spoken with Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler about his role within the squad and the former Leeds man clearly liked what he heard. He also noted the importance of a good bond among the players, hinting that there was not complete togetherness within the Elland Road dressing room during periods of his eight-and-a-half year stint.

"[Hurzeler] showed me what I would be able to bring to the team and also what he would be able to improve me in,” Struijk added. “So I think we had a good conversation about all these steps that we can make as a team, as a club, for me as a player myself.

"So the conversations we had, they were really good and also a big part of the reason why I want to come. For me this is very important because over the years I've been in changing rooms where it has been maybe a little bit more separated than in last year.

"We had a really good team bond [last season at Leeds], which I feel like this is what brings the success to the clubs, to the teams, to the players where you have such a tight squad and I want to say almost friends within the team. It helps you perform much better."

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