Robbie Evans has been quite transparent with Leeds fans when it comes to Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Addressing the summer transfer window, the Managing Director at Elland Road admitted Leeds spent all they possibly could to bolster the squad for Daniel Farke, adding that sales would need to occur to make further additions.
Robbie Evans on Leeds United’s PSR position:
“This summer, we spent everything we could. Unequivocally, we are maxing PSR out this season. If we had gone on to other targets [on deadline day], the consequences would have been seen in the current roster. More key players from last season would have had to go.”
One of those “key players” from last season in Pascal Struijk has since lost his spot to Jaka Bijol after his £15m move from Udinese in June – and replacing the Dutchman with Leeds fan Nikolai Hopland could be a smart workaround to create some PSR wriggle room.
How Leeds United can improve their financial situation by swapping Pascal Struijk for Nikolai Hopland
Back in November 2024, the talented 21-year-old Hopland told VI all about his love for Leeds, saying: “People often laugh when I say this, but since I was four it has always been Leeds. I went that way about 20 times with my father.
“I think I have every jersey they’ve had in the last 15 years in my closet and still watch almost every game, if our own schedule makes it possible. A really great club. It is my dream to play for that one day and I will do everything I can to make that dream come true.”
Photo by Stan Oosterhof/Soccrates/Getty Images
Heerenveen spent just £440,425 to sign Hopland from Aalesund, and with Aidy White believing Struijk is worth at least £18m in the event of a sale, swapping the two central defenders has the potential to open up roughly £15m in PSR profit for Leeds, with the Norwegian estimated to be worth around £3m at the moment.
Agreeing personal terms with the Heerenveen No.17 shouldn’t be much of a problem for the 49ers either given his desire to play for Leeds.
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Furthermore, we are not simply suggesting the Norway U21 international as a potential signing solely because he supports Leeds, but he also appears to be a precocious talent too.
Hopland has been compared to Liverpool target Joel Ordonez by data site FBREF as he stars in the Netherlands, where he is receiving rave reviews as a result of his formidable displays for Heerenveen.
The Alesund-born talent has made eight Eredivisie appearances so far this season, scoring one goal as his side sit 12th.
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Dutch analyst BG Scouting describes Hopland as a “modern, tall central defender who is comfortable with the ball, strong in ground duels and scans his spaces very well” from the back.
Nikolai Hopland is the perfect profile for Leeds United and would solve a headache for Daniel Farke
Struijk has spent the last three Premier League games watching from the bench as Farke opts for Bijol to start alongside Joe Rodon.
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The 26-year-old’s status as an important, popular player at Leeds means Farke risks causing some upset if this continues, but a young talent in Hopland would presumably be far more accepting of a backup role, especially at his dream club.
It means this potential PSR workaround not only has financial incentives for Leeds, but it may also help settle a looming conflict within the centre-back hierarchy.
