Leeds United's start to the season has been patchy, as despite largely performing well in the bulk of their Championship fixtures, they only have one win to show for their admirable football under Daniel Farke.
The German has overseen one of the more tumultuous periods in the club's recent history following their relegation from the Premier League, as the former Norwich City tactician has been forced to contend with mass outgoings that were completely against his will.
Fortunately, things are looking up following the conclusion of the transfer window, with his squad now settled and likely ready to recapture their form in order to force a title push.
Those who did stick around from last campaign's debacle have a long way to go before they can truly say they have repaid the supporters' faith, yet their consistency does provide a fine foundation for potential success at their new level, bolstered by those aforementioned new faces.
The likes of Ethan Ampadu, Glen Kamara, Joe Rodon and Joel Piroe are poised to electrify the Championship, but they will largely be aided by the likes of Luke Ayling, Wilfried Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville and Pascal Struijk.
Of all those names, it is likely the latter who has already experienced the biggest upturn in form following a frustrating campaign last year.
Who has been Leeds United's best player this season?
As noted earlier, most of the squad have not played poorly enough to merit their 15th-place standing in the league, but rather a lack of proficiency up top has thwarted their efforts. The hope is that Piroe's introduction can ease that burden, given the quantity and quality of chances they continue to conjure up.
With this in mind, the likes of Summerville and recently departed Luis Sinisterra sit atop their Sofascore ratings for the term thus far, closely followed by Ampadu and Liam Cooper.
However, in Struijk there has already been a sharp change in his fortunes despite his 6.94 average rating making him just the 14th-highest rated. After all, last season marked a low point for the Dutchman, who struggled to compete in the Premier League as he was forced to deputise at left-back, then in his more natural centre-back, with complete unpredictability.
Each week marked a new challenge that the 24-year-old failed to overcome, and as such his 6.78 average rating suffered. This was largely marred by his disappointing 79% pass accuracy, and despite his 2.9 tackles per game, he would keep just four clean sheets all season, via Sofascore.
Struijk was an unfortunate mainstay in a backline that shipped 78 goals across the year, by far the most in the division. He was always bound to come under fire, with pundit Danny Murphy even noting: "Struijk, he struggled like hell at left-back, he went back to his familiar position at centre-half and in the last couple of weeks he's been destroyed. He can't play, he can't play again."
However, that seems to have altered somewhat given he has played every minute so far at centre-back, raising his pass accuracy up to 91%, averaging 5.8 ball recoveries and 2.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.
This return to form seems to have come at the perfect time, and could see his stock rise even further as he continues to establish himself in England.
How much was Pascal Struijk worth three years ago?
It is a testament to the recruitment of the time that they managed to snag Struijk back in 2018, with his consistently rising valuation providing support for such a notion.
Having slowly grown into an important first-team member, understandably the figure attached to his name was due to rise too.
However, given in October 2020 Transfermarkt only valued him at €750k (£645k), the foundation for immense growth was already in place. Given how far he has come since then, it is no surprise that this figure has been dwarfed with ease.
How much did Leeds United sign Pascal Struijk for?
Although his tenure was short, Thomas Christiansen's appointment promised much as he succeeded Gary Monk, and was tasked with being "someone who can help us create a winning culture at the club and unite everyone connected with Leeds United, from the players to the supporters," in the words of then-chairman Andrea Radrizzani.
However, he would fail miserably to do so, with his sacking coming in February 2018 after a poor run of results had them nowhere near their aim of promotion.
Despite that, he did leave one parting gift for supporters, bringing in Struijk late from Ajax on a shrewd free transfer.
How much is Pascal Struijk worth now?
To track the increase in his stock, it is worth comparing his current valuation with the aforementioned one that came back in 2020.
After all, CIES Football Observatory clearly holds the defender in high regard, placing a lofty €20m (£17.2m) figure beside his name most recently.
2023
€18m (£15.5m)
10% decrease
2022
€20m (£17.2m)
123% increase
2021
€9m (£7.7m)
1093% increase
2020
€750k (£645k)
N/A
This suggests that to go from a £645k valuation to his current one, Struijk has seen a 2,566% rise in value during his period at Elland Road. It is a testament to his steadily growing stature, pedigree and performance levels that he has reached such heights. Should his form continue, it is a figure certain to only continue growing.
Why is Pascal Struijk worth that much?
Whilst his form likely plays a part in explaining why the 6 foot 3 star is worth so much, his growing experience also lends to such a notion. After all, Struijk now boasts 85 appearances in the Premier League and a total of 103 for his current club.
Not only this, but many have stood up and taken note of the man in question, given his technical prowess is paired with such a unique physical profile.
Writer Daniel Fraiz Martinez even highlighted one such performance, writing on Twitter in 2022: "A performance so good, that by the 2nd half of #WHULEE Michail Antonio was actively looking to play towards LUFC’s right-hand side to avoid Struijk. An absolutely monster defensive display, richly deserving of all the plaudits!"
How much does Pascal Struijk earn?
With his growing influence in the dressing room, his £50k-per-week wage merits good value for someone set to be the future of Farke's backline.
Having signed a new deal back in December 2022, there seems to be little chance of Struijk seeking to engineer a move away too, with the stalwart locked down until 2027 now.
Such a figure still makes him far from the highest-paid at Elland Road though, with players like Georginio Rutter, Daniel James, Junior Firpo and Patrick Bamford all earning the same or more despite arguably offering less, via Capology.
