Leeds decide on priority signing to replace Struijk with truths over £25.7m Juventus star revealed

Leeds United have an admiration for Juventus star Lloyd Kelly, though their chances of a move to bring the Englishman to Elland Road have been played down by a well-informed journalist, who has backed up our exclusive reveal on the player Daniel Farke and Co have really set their sights on.

The Whites are looking to strengthen their squad this summer as they strive to improve on their impressive 14th-placed finish last season, with Leeds United transformed by their mid-season switch to a 3-5-1-1 formation.

With five to six quality additions in their sights, owners 49ers Enterprises have ambitious plans to have the club pushing upwards towards mid-table next term and help take Farke’s side to the next level.

A new goalkeeper, a striker, and a central midfielder are among their targets, while the signing of Harry Wilson is expected to be announced in due course after a bumper four-year deal was agreed.

Leeds now also need another left-sided centre-half after they decided to cash in on the long-serving Pascal Struijk, who had made it clear he was looking to make a fresh challenge after eight years at the club.

He has since moved to Brighton for an initial £15m fee, with add-ons and a sell-on clause included as part of the package.

Indeed, Leeds have long known about the likelihood of Struijk leaving. We exclusively revealed that it was a strong possibility back in April, while later that month we were also first to reveal that Leeds had held talks with Wolves over a possible deal for Ladislav Krejci, revealing that Farke and Co saw the Czech star as a ‘strong tactical fit’.

Now, the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth has weighed in on links to both players and has shared what he knows and what the most likely outcome is for Leeds United this summer.

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Leeds links to Lloyd Kelly and Ladislav Krejci explained

Speaking on the Inside Elland Road Podcast, Smith admits that while Kelly – who joined Juventus in a €17.5m (£15m, $20m) deal in May 2025 and is now rated in the €30m (£25.7m, $34.3m) bracket – is a player Leeds admire, he is unlikely to be one they pursue with any real urgency.

“There are some names out there of players that are liked. Lloyd Kelly is a name that is liked, but is not one that they’re in an active pursuit of,” Smyth revealed.

Leeds have also been linked with Burnley’s Maxime Esteve, Sporting CP’s Ousmane Dembele and Real Betis star Natan in recent weeks, though Smyth insists Krejci is the one seen as most likely right now.

“I don’t know about that one,” Smyth said when asked about Esteve, specifically, before adding: “I think it’s a really, really key one to get right.

“Krejci is another one that they will look at, I’d imagine. That could be one of those market opportunities they speak of.”

Krejci joined Wolves on an initial loan from Girona and has since made the move a permanent £26m move, as of July 1, and on a contract through to 2030 at Molineux.

However, their relegation to the Championship means his sale does look likely, and the Old Gold could look to make a quick profit on their investment.

Either way, we revealed earlier this year that there is a confidence at Leeds that a deal for the 29-cap Czech star can be done, with sources revealing the player himself is eager to make the move.

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