Category Archives: TRANSFERS

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Huddersfield Town will bask-in Carel’s talents

September 21, 2020 Will Burns Leave a comment

Yes it’s a ‘Tiger King’ pun but Will Burns suggests that Huddersfield Town have captured a good cat from Ajax in Carel Eiting.

News emerged this weekend that a deal to take young Ajax midfielder Carel Eiting to English Championship side Huddersfield Town was finally completed and the 22-year-old will spend the season in Yorkshire.

Eiting will head straight into The Terriers squad for Friday night’s home clash against Nottingham Forest and he must be in contention to make his debut. The defensive midfielder should be a big hit in England and the pace and feracious nature of the English second tier should fit Eiting’s style.

Eiting is a left-footed deep playmaker who possesses tremendous versatility – similar to Daley Blind. Naturally a midfielder, he has been known to sit in at left-back, left wing-back, an advanced attacking midfielder role and even at the heart of the defence. Although, he may struggle at centre-half in England if he were to play there due to the physical nature of the forwards.

Carel Eiting is níét de nieuwe Remco Evenepoel, maar heeft wél een goed verhaal | Wielrennen | AD.nl

In midfield or at left-back he can excel. He has great technical ability with a wide range of passing at his disposal. Although he only appear in six Eredivisie games in the curtailed season for Ajax, he achieved a 94% passing accuracy in his own half and 75% in the oppositions.

Despite standing at just 5ft 8 inches, he is carries great strength to carry the ball through the tightest of spaces and muscle many off the ball to intercept when not in possession. His power gives him strength in the tackle and he is not afraid to stick his foot in, a trait that will win many fans at The John Smith’s Stadium.

Creatively, expect Eiting to float to left side of the pitch when in possession and whip a ball from deep into the penalty area. However, for Huddersfield’s Carlos Corberan, their new coach, its Eiting’s aforementioned versatility that makes him an asset for the team that are yet to win a game this season.

Corberan’s men are adjusting to playing a new style with many new recruits and are yet to score a goal in the three competitive games this season. Eiting will be aiming to make an instant improvement to those results this Friday, but goal scoring is not his forte. Although, his team mates might see their roles freed to press forward with his addition to the eleven.

The future is unknown for Carel, his first aim is to overcome the bad luck of the past few seasons with injuries and get some time on the pitch under his belt. A player that can play in many positions comfortably is a raritery and he could be an asset for the future of Ajax.

Although, the willingness to allow Eiting to go out on loan seems to be a suggestion that the Amsterdammers would be willing to allow his career to progress elsewhere.

TotalDutchFootball.com

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Feyenoord Cry “Don’t Leave Me This Way” As Leeds United Sign Summerville

September 10, 2020 Will Burns Leave a comment

Sorry for the Communards reference but Will Burns thinks given time, young winger Crysencio Summerville could be a big hit at Elland Road.

Leeds United’s new winger Summerville is an 18-year-old (19 in October) who was born and raised in Rotterdam, and he started at local amateur club R.V.V. Noorderkwatier. It was not long before scouts were buzzing round him for his signature and he opted to sign Feyenoord in 2008 at a young age of seven years old.

Appearing at international youth level for Holland, Summerville moved through the ranks and stayed in the headlines for all the right reasons, until December 2018. He was involved in a training ground bust-up that ended up in a locker room fight with teammate Mats Knoester. Although he apologised publicly, Feyenoord punished Summerville by suspending him and sent him on loan to Eerste Divisie side FC Dordrecht.

Despite the setback, on the pitch Summerville knuckled down and appeared 18 times for Dordrecht grabbing five goals and one assist. Dordrecht fans were buoyed by his fierce pace and cleverness with the ball at his feet.

Een van grootste talenten van Feyenoord speelt nu bij ADO: 'Ik ben een jongen met pit' | Den Haag | AD.nl — Summerville notched two goals and three assists while on loan last season in Den Haag.

He returned to Rotterdam in the summer of 2019 but was loaned out to ADO Den Haag last season due to the global pandemic. At only 17, he gained some great experience of Eredivisie football and managed to create three goals and scored twice in 21 outings in a struggling ADO side.

Pundits tipped him to go out on loan again this year before potentially making his mark in Feyenoord but Marcelo Biesla’s Leeds United have stormed in for his signature. Reports emerged earlier this week that a fee of £1 million had been agreed between the two clubs, after Summerville rejected a new contract offer at De Kuip.

Fans of the newly promoted Leeds need not to think that Summerville will be able to step into the first team, he is at least a year away for being a consistent Premier League player. With his lean build, he is comfortable on either wing but not the strongest player. However, along with his tricky feet, he uses this to his advantage and wins free-kicks in abundance.

He will be a dangerous player for The Whites and under a top coach like Biesla, he will progress at a rapid rate but give him a year to settle and learn the English game. Then you will see the impact of this talented youngster.

TotalDutchFootball.com

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What does Donny van de Beek bring to Man Utd’s midfield?

September 1, 2020 Will Burns 2 Comments

Ajax midfield maestro Donny van de Beek is on his way to Old Trafford to join Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United on a five-year deal. Will Burns explains how Donny can improve the Red Devils.

Manchester United linked with Ajax's Donny van de Beek - The Busby Babe

History

The 23-year-old Van de Beek has been an influential figure over the last few years at the Johan Cruyff Arena and helped the Amsterdammers reach the semi-finals of the Champions League semi-finals and lift an Eredivisie title in 2018-19 season.

Manchester United have parted with a reported £40m to bring the young Dutchman to the Premier League but can he fit into a midfield which already boasts Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes – well yes, I believe he can.

Van de Beek rose through Ajax’s De Toekomst academy until he made his first team debut on 26^th November 2015, as a substitute away to Celtic in a 2-1 Europa League victory. By the next season, he cemented his place in the Ajax midfield but it was the 2017-18 season where Donny started to shine.

Scoring eleven times in 34 Eredivisie appearances, Donny started to gain some serious plaudits and was tipped to move into the big leagues in the near future. He managed to supply a further six assists and primarily played as a box-to-box midfielder. Head coach Erik ten Hag then moved Donny further forward the season after, where the then-21-year-old played in an attacking midfielder role and scored 17 times, with 13 assists in 57 games in all competitions.

His goals and creativity helped Ajax win the league title and the Amsterdammers unexpectedly found themselves one win away from a UEFA Champions League final. Last season, which was abruptly ended due to ongoing global pandemic, Donny shared his time as a number ten role and back into the middle of midfield. He still managed to nab ten goals in 37 appearances with 11 assists before the season was cut short.

Scout Report: What Donny Van de Beek brings to United – utdreport

Attributes

As mentioned above, Van de Beek possesses the ability to play as a perfect box-to-box midfielder but he can advance forward or sit in front of the defence. His versatility has proven that he can be the perfect link between the defence and the attack, and although he is more than adept at sticking a foot in to help out the defence, he is more comfortable going forward. However, defensively he is sound. He averaged 2.2 tackles per game in the Eredivisie last term.

Going forward, time and time again, he has shown that awareness that will see him arrive on the edge of the box late to surprise the opponents. Van de Beek shows a rare intellect with his capability to drift between the lines of the opposition, linking together team mates and finding dangerous space in the final third. The front three at Old Trafford are going to find Donny a joy to play with.

Ajax and Manchester United see eye to eye on Donny van de Beek

His Future

Now the deal has been confirmed, Manchester United fans can get excited that one of the best young midfielders in European football is going to be wearing their red shirt.

Van de Beek is suited to the English game and I can see him initially sitting in a deeper role than he usually used to for Solskjaer’s side. As experience and knowledge of the Premier League comes to him, then you will see Donny been given the green light to play more advanced.

In a 4-2-3-1 formation, van de Beek could be alongside either Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes in the middle and on paper, Man Utd have one of the strongest midfield’s in the league with an exciting young forward line ahead of them.

However, Donny will not be without a fight for places with Nemanja Matic, Fred and Scott McTominay also competing for the central midfield role but long-term, the position will become his own.

TotalDutchFootball.com

FEATURE, TRANSFERS

Ajax target Bayern youngster as De Jong replacement

January 25, 2019 Will Burns Leave a comment

The Dutch side has reportedly targeted Bayern Munich youngster Meritan Shabani as a replacement for the Barcelona bound Frenkie De Jong. De Jong completed a £65m move to Barcelona this past week writes Will Godley.

Image result for meritan shabani — Shabani has emerged as a target for Ajax

German newspaper Bild have reported that Shabani is seen by the Dutch club as De Jong’s successor.

Shabani is a Munich-native, having joined Bayern when he was seven years old. He is currently contracted to the club until 2020 and trained with the first-team in Doha during the German winter break.

The 19-year old is seen as one of the most promising youth prospects at Bayern Munich and has made three first-team appearances.

However, with so many talented midfielders currently at Bayern, opportunities will be hard to come by for Shabani unless he moves away.

Ajax appears to be very interested in the player and should now step up their interest, after the sale of De Jong earlier this week. The Eredivisie side is keen to integrate Shabani into head coach Erik ten Hag’s team during the second half of the season and hope to make a deal before the January window closes.

Bayern may consider inserting a buy-back clause or a first-option clause into the player’s contract, should he leave the Allianz Arena.

It is no secret that Bayern is interested in Ajax’s 19-year old centre-back, Matthijs de Ligt. With that mind, they may also consider giving Ajax favourable terms in the Shabani deal to get an upper hand in future negotiations for De Ligt. Any advantage would be favourable, considering the size of the club’s competing alongside them for the signature of the Dutch youngster.

Shabani is most comfortable in an advanced midfield role. His skill set has allowed him to move further forward during his career and he is capable of playing on either wing. However, he is more confident operating centrally.

He was promoted to the Bayern U19 squad at the age of 16. Shabani’s rapid rise continued from there, moving up to the Bayern II team, before earning a first-team call-up.

Jupp Heynckes gave the youngster his first-team debut in the Bundesliga against Eintracht Frankfurt last season, after Bayern had already won the league title.

Since then, his confidence has grown. He featured prominently in the club’s pre-season tour of the US and made another Bundesliga appearance against Frankfurt this season. He has also appeared in the DFB Pokal.

Shabani is a dual national, who is eligible to represent Germany and Kosovo at international level. Although, Germany appears to be winning the race for his services. He is currently an U20 international for the Germans.

The midfielder’s statistics are very impressive. For the Bayern U19 side, Shabani scored 15 goals and made 12 assists in 69 appearances. For the Bayern II team, he has scored 9 goals and made 4 assists in 19 appearances – including 3 goals in 4 UEFA Youth League games.

Shabani has good ball control and likes to run at defenders. That, combined with his impressive goals tally, makes him a real attacking threat.

Will Godley

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FEATURE, PLAYER SPOTLIGHT, TRANSFERS

Doelman Dilemma: Who will succeed Andre Onana as Ajax number 1?

January 25, 2019 Will Burns Leave a comment

With the recent flurry of transfer activity revolving around many prominent members of Ajax’s current first team squad – most notably Frenkie de Jong’s record-breaking switch to FC Barcelona, a number of questions regarding next season and beyond are yet to be resolved by Messrs Overmars, ten Hag and Co.

One of which is, with his departure seemingly imminent, who will succeed Cameroon international Andre Onana between the sticks at the Johan Cruijff ArenA?

Image result for andre onana — Big Andre’s tipped to move to the big leagues in the summer.

Despite no move materialising during the current transfer window, it appears almost guaranteed that Onana will be snapped up in the summer and, as Kostas Lamprou’s recent performance – standing in for the injured 22-year-old in an eight-goal thriller with Heerenveen on January 20^th that saw Ajax squander the chance of leapfrogging reigning Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven into first place coupled with the resultant media backlash that saw accusations of poor judgement aimed in the direction of director of football, Marc Overmars, head coach, Erik ten Hag and even the club’s goalkeeping coach, Carlo l’Ami, from an irate Dutch media proved, a long-term successor to Ajax’s current number one is far from clear.

As such, we here at TotalDutchFootball.com have compiled a list of both short and long-term solutions for Ajax’s ‘doelman dilemma’.

Image result for kostas lamprou ajax — Onana’s current understudy Kostas Lamprou

Promote from within?

Despite both arriving at the club in the summer of 2017, Kostas Lamprou and Benjamin van Leer have thus far failed to really stake any sort of claim as Andre Onana’s long term successor. Despite an impressive stint manning the nets for Willem II, the Greek international’s few first-team appearances in an Ajax shirt have been far from convincing and his current deal, which expires in the summer, is unlikely to be extended. Meanwhile, despite being initially tipped as a potential solution to the Ajax goalkeeping conundrum following his switch from Roda JC, having slipped behind not only Onana but Lamprou as well in the pecking order for a starting berth in Amsterdam, Benjamin van Leer now finds himself on a season-long loan with NAC Breda and, despite having a deal that runs until the summer of 2021, it appears unlikely that the club will turn to the 27-year-old when Onana does eventually decide to look for pastures new.

Despite being capped at U17, U18 and U19 level for the Netherlands, with just fifteen senior appearances to date, 21-year-old Sven van Bladeren appears to lack the necessary experience to shoulder such a burden at this stage in his development while the same can be said for both Croatian U19 glovesman Dominik Kotarski and Moroccan U23 stopper Issam El Maach who are both just eighteen years of age.

Image result for maarten stekelenburg — Former Dutch no.1 Maarten Stekelenburg

An experienced hand?

Should the club conclude that the aforementioned inexperience of Messrs van Bladeren, Kotarski and El Maach means that promoting from within is not an option and a short-term solution is instead required, Ajax may turn their attention to a familiar face in the form of Everton’s Maarten Stekelenburg. A product of the club’s famed youth system, Stekelenburg manned the Ajax nets with distinction until his departure for Roma in the summer of 2011. At the age of thirty-six and with no real likelihood of first-team football on the horizon thanks to England international Jordan Pickford’s presence at Goodison Park, Stekelenburg may jump at the opportunity to finish his career where it all began while a true long-term successor is prepared. However, it should be noted that Stekelenburg’s current deal with Everton runs until the summer of 2020 and thus might make any move financially unfeasible at this stage.

However, Michel Vorm’s current deal with Tottenham Hotspur is set to expire in the summer and, at the age of thirty-five, seeing out his career at the Johan Cruijff ArenA may well appeal to the former FC Utrecht stopper.

Image result for Kjell Scherpen — Youngster Scherpen halts a PSV attack in its tracks

One for the future?

Should Ajax opt to recruit an experienced glovesman with a view to buying time while a long-term replacement is readied, one name immediately springs to mind – FC Emmen’s Kjell Scherpen. Despite being just 19-years-old, Scherpen has played all but one of Emmen’s twenty games in all competitions this term and has been impressive throughout. Given time to acclimatise, the Dutch U19 international could well become the long-term solution Ajax are looking for.

A ready-made replacement?

However, should Ajax desire a ready-made replacement, the club may well look to AZ Alkmaar’s Marco Bizot. The 27-year-old has enjoyed an impressive campaign thus far having posted ten clean sheets in his twenty-four appearances in all competitions and his good form resulting in a call-up to the Dutch national team.

Whatever the club decides, recent events clearly illustrate that it is imperative a decision on Andre Onana’s long-term successor be made sooner rather than later.

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FEATURE, NEWS, PLAYER SPOTLIGHT, TRANSFERS

Can Newcastle land Feyenoord’s £20m Great Dane?

January 25, 2018 Will Burns Leave a comment

It emerged earlier this week that the usually financially hand-cuffed Premier League club Newcastle United were set to bid £20m for a striker. The name of the player was a mystery until the cat was out the bag late Tuesday night. The Dutch press received a leak from Feyenoord that the player in question was indeed Danish international Nicolai Jørgensen writes Will Burns.

Last year’s Eredivisie top scorer with a 21 goals, Jørgensen has been valued by Martin van Geel, Feyenoord’s sporting director at £20m, but Newcastle have made a bid nowhere near that valuation as time of writing.

Now the Rotterdammers may well be playing financial hard ball, it’s understandable why. While rivals Ajax and PSV are profiting well from England’s megabucks (selling stars consistently to the Premier League), Feyenoord’s income is set to heavily diminish next term due to the incredibly likely failure to qualify for the Champions League next season. Currently sitting in fifth on 33 points, Feyenoord are 16 points behind current league leaders PSV.

Meanwhile, taking a lower offer for the Dane may be an option after bringing club legend Robin van Persie home this past week. Although the 34-year-old will be taking a pay cut from times past, he will still make a dent in the profit margins.

In this inflated world of the transfer windows, signing on-fees and agents is Jørgensen worth £20m in today’s market? I’m no fortune teller but if Newcastle United can land the striker, this is what I see they are getting for the hefty fee…

A Proven Asset

The 27-year-old Jørgensen began his footballing journey in his homeland of Denmark as a left-winger and stayed in that position for the majority of his career. After exciting crowds, cutting inside and striding past defences during his youth career at Akademisk Boldklub, he earned a transfer to the bright lights of the Bundesliga at just aged 19 with Bayer Leverkusen. It proved to be a big step, too early as he struggled to win a starting berth in the first team and moved out on loan unsuccessfully to Kaiserslautern until returning to Denmark with FC Copenhagen.

Due to his 6ft 3inch height, he was moved into a target man role before heading to Rotterdam in June 2016 for €3.5m from Copenhagen where his presence really took them to greatness. The Løverne clinching the Danish league title two times and runner-up twice in his five years at the club. He notched a total of 51 times in 137 appearances in all competitions.

He continued his trophy collecting inside just nine months in Holland, claiming the Eredivisie Golden Boot with the aforementioned 21 strikes, helping Feyenoord on their way to their first Eredivisie shield since 1999.

Now, Newcastle United have yet to win a major trophy since 1969, I’m not saying he can work a miracle to make them title contenders however he can add a lot to the team. But please don’t expect a prolific goalscorer, though he could encourage others to help fill that void.

Powerhouse and Poacher

Last season, even though he owns a towering frame, Jørgensen did not score a header, not a bad thing though as playing along with Feyenoord’s short passing football game, he displayed a great poacher’s instinct with fantastic reaction and composed, cool finishing. He possesses decent speed, great technical ability with superb passing range and link-up play. During the championship winning season in Rotterdam last year, along with notching the 21 goals – he layed on 11 assists. His power allows him to hold a ball up and torture weaker defenders and if you have fast wingers on the counter attack, a chance is likely to be created.

After speaking to many that know all about the Danish game when playing internationally under Åge Hareide’s Denmark, Jørgensen has become an asset. After the years of possession football under Morten Olsen, Hareide changed the Danes attacking methods to a direct, physical style over the past six months and saw great results. Again, Jørgensen was a real key in this success. He showed he can provide an aerial threat, providing knock-ons for the vertical runs of speedster Pione Sisto from the wings.

A Future on Tyneside?

Although we have to be realistic here and realise the Eredivisie is a massive gulf in class to England’s Premier League, he does seem an ideal signing at this time for Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle. A side that lacks the domineering presence in the air to give them a Plan B in troubled times.

He gives you an opportunity to complement a direct approach and win headers in the 18 yard box when you really need that goal. He is someone who will be on the line, on the penalty spot ready to poke home, something that has really hampered the Toon’s season so far – missing that finisher.

He has proven at a lower level (Danish and Dutch leagues) to be a capable goalscorer, but in my opinion as I’ve stated, I feel he offers much, much more than that.

Can he be the asset on Tyneside that he proved to be in Copenhagen and Rotterdam?

Only time will tell… but the Geordies and especially owner Mike Ashley will have to get the chequebook dusted off first.

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TotalDutchFootball.com

TRANSFERS

TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY – LIVE!

August 31, 2015 Will Burns Leave a comment

Will Burns presents this instant feed of breaking transfer news from the Eredivisie and regarding any Dutch players from around the world. The summer transfer window slams shut at 23:00BST this evening.

Press F5 on your keyboard to reload the page and get the most up-to-date news throughout the day.

8:42pm – ROMANIAN STRIKER SIGNS FOR N.E.C.

N.E.C. Nijmegen have recruited Romainian striker Mihai Roman from Pandurii Targu Jiu on a three-year contract

8:36pm – BOUY ARRIVES ON LOAN AT ZWOLLE

Former Ajax youth starlet Ouasim Bouy has joined PEC Zwolle on loan from Serie A giants Juventus.

7:55pm – CORONA’S MOVE TO FC PORTO IS CONFIRMED

FC Porto have completed the transfer of Jesus Manuel Corona from FC Twente. The Mexican international has signed a five-year deal at the Portuguese giants and Twente will receive €3 million of the €10 million transfer fee. The other 70% of player was owned by external investors. It is reported that Twente are looking at a loan move for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ winger Rajiv van la Parra as a replacement.

6:30pm – ADVIC IS SET FREE

AZ Alkmaar has announced that the club have terminated the contract of 26-year-old Swedish striker Denni Avdic with immediate effect.

6:18pm – EXCELSIOR SIGN DROST

Henrico Drost has swapped NAC Breda for Excelsior. The 28-year-old defender, who formerly played for sc Heerenveen, De Graafschap and RKC Waalwijk signs a two-year contract for the Rotterdam side subject to a medical.

4:35pm – MATHIEU LOANED OUT TO EAGLES

Willem II striker Justin Mathieu has joined Go Ahead Eagles on loan. The young attacker played on loan at FC Oss last season and scored six times in 22 appearances.

3:15pm – CORONA SET TO SWITCH TO FC PORTO

Mexican playmaker Jesus Manuel Corona set to leave FC Twente and join Portuguese giants FC Porto. Corona has arrived in Portugal and will undergo a medical this evening. OJogo reports that the winger will sign a five-year contract with Porto.

3:08pm – BEN MOUSSA MOVES TO VOLENDAM

FC Volendam has signed Hilal Ben Moussa. The midfielder is a free transfer from FC Groningen and signs an amateur contract with the Eerste Divisie outfit.

2:33pm – BOTAKA REPLACEMENT SIGNS

As Jordan Botaka is set to sign for English Championship side Leeds United, Stanley Elbers is all set to replace him at Excelsior. Coming from Eerste Divisie side Helmond Sport, the 23-year-old Elbers has signed a three-year contract in Rotterdam.

2:17pm – BUSY DAY FOR RODA

The hectic day in Kerkrade continues as Rigino Cicilia has left Roda to join RKC Waalwijk on a season-long loan.

1:59pm – BRAMA IS BACK IN ZWOLLE

Wout Brama has returned to PEC Zwolle and signs a contract until the summer of 2018. The 26-year old spent last year under Ron Jans’ leadership.

10:10am – HELMOND SPORT LOAN UTRECHT PAIR

Embedded image permalink

FC Utrecht defenders Yannick Cortie (22) and Gévero Markiet (24) will spend the rest of the season in the Eerste Divisie with Helmond Sport.

9:17am – JANSEN IS OFF TO TURKEY

Roda JC Kerkrade and Boluspor reached agreement this morning for the transfer of Anco Jansen. The 26- year-old midfielder has signed a two-year contract in Turkey.

NEWS, TRANSFERS

Saints keen to seal £8m million deal for Celtic’s Van Dijk

August 27, 2015 Will Burns Leave a comment

Southampton are keen to sign defender Virgil van Dijk from Celtic this summer as they look too shore up their defence.

The Dutchman is likely to seek pastures new after his side was knocked out of the Champions League by Swedish side Malmo.

It is understood that Ronald Koeman is monitoring the situation and is set to offer £8 million for the 24 year-old.

The St. Mary’s side have previously been linked with Sven Van Beek and Terence Kongolo two versatile defenders who currently play for Koeman’s previous club Feyenoord in the Eredivisie.

Southampton are keen to sign Virgil Van Dijk from Scottish Champions Celtic for £8 million, which looks likely to happen before the end of the transfer window on Tuesday. The Dutch centre back is said to favour a move away from Parkhead after his side were recently knocked out the Champions League by Swedish side Malmo in their recent qualifier on Tuesday night. The Dutch International has stated: “It’s a terrible way if it ends like this but I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

The defender is also thought to of known about the speculation regarding a move to the South Coast, but when asked he stated: “I can’t say anything. I think you need to ask the board. I don’t know what will happen in the coming days. Celtic is an amazing club and I’m very thankful for everything they have done for me.”

Van Dijk was signed in 2013 by Celtic for a fee of around £2.5 million, from FC Groningen were he spent a full season, before moving to Ronny Delia’s side on a four-year deal. At 6ft 4ins he has the physical stature to deal with the rigours of Premier League football.

He was part of the defence that went 1,215 minutes without conceding a goal, breaking the 43-year-old Scottish League record set by Aberdeen’s keeper Bobby Clark. Van Dijk has also won Celtic’s player of the year award for 2014.

With Toby Alderweireld signing for Tottenham Hotspur and Sven Van Beek along with Terence Kongolo interest cooling, boss Ronald Koeman will be looking to get the deal over line as soon as possible.

Arsenal and Swansea have also been linked with the defender in recent times. It is thought that the defender may prefer the switch to Southampton after Fraser Forster and Victor Wanyama have both made the move to the Saints from Celtic.

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TRANSFERS

Why should Georginio Wijnaldum join Newcastle United?

July 9, 2015 Will Burns 1 Comment

Over the last few days, Georginio Wijnaldum has been heavily linked with a move to Newcastle United in both the British and Dutch press. Although there have been differing reports, there is definitely talks going on between the two clubs and some sources such as the Daily Mail suggest that a deal has been agreed between Newcastle and PSV Eindhoven. Some observers have commented their surprise that Wijnaldum would consider a move to Newcastle, especially after such a good season captaining PSV to their first championship since 2008 writes Jake Jackman.

The Eredivisie has always been a league which has some excellent young players, and Wijnaldum has been one of those for a number of years now. However there has to be a time when players leave Holland to try and reach the very top of the game as sadly the Eredivisie isn’t the platform to do that.

The rumours about Wijnaldum have created a buzz on Tyneside as he is a very exciting player, who will bring goals and assists to St James’ Park. He is a number ten, who can also play in central midfield and on the wing, making him a versatile option in the final third for Newcastle. It isn’t a position that Newcastle need to strengthen, but the Dutchman will add quality and competition in the attacking positions and that is never a bad thing. Steve McClaren has a good knowledge of the Dutch game after managing FC Twente on two separate occasions and he has had a big role in Newcastle’s decision in chasing Wijnaldum and this suggests he has a role in mind for the PSV captain.

He scored 14 league goals last season and contributed 3 assists. The Premier League is a physical league, and Wijnaldum has the pace and strength to adapt quickly to the league. He is a skilled dribbler, who likes to run with the ball at pace. The main strengths in his game are his dribbling ability and his quality when it comes to playing through balls to his team-mates. The Dutchman isn’t the best when it comes to the defensive side of the game, and he will need to work on his tackling especially if he does join Newcastle.

The key reason for Wijnaldum to consider a move to Newcastle is that it would allow him to play regularly in what many consider to be the best league in the world. The midfielder has the ability to play for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, but they won’t be willing to pay the money for him until he proves himself in a bigger league than the Eredivisie. The likes of PSG and Manchester United have been linked with the midfielder recently, but Wijnaldum would be far from guaranteed regular first team football at these sort of clubs. Newcastle may not be in European competition, but they are televised across the world and there is a clear path to Champions League clubs as Yohan Cabaye, Loic Remy and Mathieu Debuchy have showed in recent seasons.

Newcastle are pouncing now for the playmaker due to Wijnaldum’s own desire to leave the Eredivisie which gives the club more leeway to get the midfielder for a better price. In January, or last summer, it would have been much more difficult for any club to sign Wijnaldum, but the game is becoming more centred on player power and the progress made in this transfer highlights that.

If he does make the move to St James’ Park, it will be a good environment for the midfielder as he will be surrounded by fellow Dutchman in Vurnon Anita, Tim Krul, Daryl Janmaat and Siem de Jong, which will allow Wijnaldum to settle quickly into life in the North East. Playing in a side with fellow compatriots will mean that he still has a great chance of playing a huge role for the national side. Tim Krul and Daryl Janmaat have remained part of Holland squads throughout their time on Tyneside, showing that moving to Newcastle wouldn’t dent Wijnaldum’s Euro 2016 hopes.

The reason Newcastle will appeal to the PSV captain is that it will give him the platform to perform on a bigger stage and attract interest from Champions League clubs. If he remains at PSV, he would have to impress these clubs in the Champions League, which may only be the group stage for the Dutch club, which only gives the midfielder six matches to impress.

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FEATURE, PLAYER SPOTLIGHT, TRANSFERS

Unveiling PSV’s potential ‘next big thing’…

June 18, 2015 Will Burns Leave a comment

At the start of this week, PSV Eindhoven clinched the signing of one of Denmark’s hottest properties, 17-year-old right-winger Nikolai Laursen arrived at the Philips Stadion from Brøndby. To get the scoop on this new star in the making, we asked Brondby fan and Russian Football News chief editor (even though he’s Danish), Toke Møller Theilade to tell us all about him in this excellent article. Read on…

When Nikolai Laursen got his debut for Brøndby in a cup game against Fremad Amager last autumn, he became the youngest ever debutant of the club with his only 16 years and 252 days. Despite his young age it was obvious for the 4,745 spectators at Sundby Idrætspark in Copenhagen, that the young Brøndby wing was something special.

The young winger was moved from Brøndby’s academy to the first team last summer and Laursen quickly realized that professional football was different from the youth football he had been used to. In an interview with Brøndby’s official website he said:

“I have realized how much hard work means, and how important it is. I have in general learned a lot and developed my game, especially my defensive game. These two things have been the biggest changes with me since I was moved to the first team.”

In 2013, Brøndby decided to invest heavily in its academy, the so-called Brøndby Masterclass, in order to keep the biggest talents at the club for a longer time. During the past years Brøndby lost several young players to foreign leagues without receiving compensations, and the club decided that this had to stop. Unlike Nicolai Boilesen, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Andreas Christensen, Markus Bay and Daniel Wass who all left Brøndby for next to nothing compared to their talent, the Danish club will actually earn €1.3 million on Nikolai Laursen. Part of Brøndby’s strategy has been to promote the biggest talents to the first team earlier than what they used to, and the case of Laursen proves how well it has worked so far.

Laursen got his Superliga debut in April against FC Vestsjælland, and it only took him five minutes before he scored his first goal, when he beautifully first timed a cross into the left corner of the goal.

The goal made him the fourth youngest player to ever score in the Danish league, just like he became the youngest player to score for Brøndby, a title he by the way took from the former Ajax player Niki Zimling.

After Laursen’s first goal, Brøndby’s sports director Per Rud was asked about his emerging star.

“He is always learning, and he is ahead of his age group. Physical he is on level with the rest of the squad, and he has some great skills with the ball. It was a delight to see him on the field. There are a lot of good players [at the academy], but he is a player we expect a lot from at the club.”

Brøndby’s supporters will be disappointed of how little they got to see Laursen before he left the club, but that they even got to see him on the first team was surprising for many. Laursen has been wanted by big clubs for a long time, and last summer he was very close to moving to German powerhouse Bayern Munich to join the slightly older Højbjerg. Bayern was however far from the only candidate to his signature with both PSV’s rivals Ajax and Liverpool being interested in his services. He did however end up signing a two year contract with Brøndby to end the rumours for a while.

As written earlier he has developed a lot in the past year, and he now feels ready to take the step to a bigger club.

“I feel like the time has come to test my talent at a big European club,” Laursen said “and at PSV Eindhoven I get the opportunity to take the next step in my career. I am deeply grateful for everything I have learned at Brøndby, and I could not have wished for a better football school, just like I will never forget my debut at Brøndby Stadion and the greeting the fans gave me. I want to thank everybody in the sporting sector that made this possible for me, and I hope to one day return home, because Brøndby will always be my club.”

At PSV, Laursen will join Lasse Askou Mikkelsen and Mathias Bonde who he knows from the Danish U/17 national team, and this might not be a coincidence. In an interview with the Danish website D’Bold Bonde revealed that he had recommended PSV to his friend. Bonde also promised to help Laursen settle in Eindhoven.

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NEWS, TRANSFERS

Man Utd linked with Ajax keeper, club say not for sale

May 20, 2015 Will Burns Leave a comment

With strong reports in previous months linking David De Gea with a move back home to Spain, Louis Van Gaal has been scouring the continent for his replacement. Surprisingly, Manchester United already have Victor Valdes who many believe should fill the void should De Gea move to Real Madrid writes Darren Harrison.

Furthermore, fresh reports are linking Van Gaal with a move for Ajax goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, somebody he has worked closely with during his spell managing the Dutch national team. It may come as a surprise to many to see fresh reports linking Cillessen with a move to United, especially for a fee of around £25 million pounds. Subsequently, United goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek, also worked with Cillessen during his spell as goalkeeping coach of the national team, this could be one of the reasons Van Gaal is looking at Cillessen to replace De Gea.

On the other hand, Ajax manager Frank De Boer is reluctant to let his goalkeeper leave, Cillessen has most recently been voted best goalkeeper in Dutch football and Ajax club player of the year. Marc Overmars, sporting director for the Amsterdammers spoke to De Telegraaf and stated the stopper was not for sale: “Not even for £25 million”.

Although unlikely after Overmars’ comment, if Cillessen leaves Ajax, potential replacements for the keeper may come closer to home. Mickey van der Hart recently spent time on loan at Go Ahead Eagles, while FC Groningen stopper Sergio Padt may be a better replacement for Cillessen, having impressed for Groningen this season and broke into the Dutch under 21 squad, Padt could possibly be identified to replace Jasper Cillessen should he leave the Amsterdam club this summer.

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TRANSFERS

Swansea set to sign Heerenveen’s top Swede stopper

May 13, 2015 Will Burns Leave a comment

Premier League side Swansea City are finalising a deal with Dutch side SC Heerenveen for Swedish goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt. The 25-year-old has a contract until the summer of 2016 writes Martijn Hilhorst.

Therefore the (unknown) transfer fee wouldn’t be that enormous for the Garry Monk’s side, who are seeking a competitor for Lukasz Fabianski regarding the first goalkeeping position. As stated before, both parties have already agreed a transfer fee. Still, Swansea needs to do some convincing towards the Heerenveen-goalie, because it’s important for Nordfeldt that he will regularly play during the upcoming season with the Euro Cup 2016 in sight, where he will most likely will be called up by Sweden.

Kristoffer Nordfeldt has already made seventy appearances for SC Heerenveen since he joined in 2012 and the goalkeeper has not missed one minute this season and managed to keep his clean sheet in nine of 33 Eredivisie matches this term. Potentially, a great coup for the Welsh side.

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TRANSFERS

PSV wish to sign Man City youngster

May 10, 2015 Will Burns Leave a comment

PSV sporting director Marcel Brands has stated that the Eredivisie champions wish to make the permanent signing of Manchester City loanee defender Karim Rekik when the transfer window opens on June 1st.

The defender, still only 20 years old, has been loaned to the Eindhoven side for the last two seasons and in that time Rekik has formed a strong central defensive partnership with former Chelsea youth Jeffrey Bruma.

After just clinching the Eredivisie title, PSV are looking to use the money from the sale of Memphis Depay to Manchester United to build a squad to compete in the UEFA Champions’ League group stages next term.

Brands speaking to De Telegraaf on Friday, the director confirmed that PSV wish to keep Rekik for the foreseeable future: “Karim simply has three options for next season. Firstly, he stays here and we buy him. That would hopefully be practicable for both parties. Another option is that he stays at Manchester City, however that is the least likely option. And last, another club buys him.”

He added that City were looking to loan the young defender out again, however that is an option that the defender has rejected: “Karim wishes to breakthrough to the Dutch national squad and Manchester City wished to loan him into a different league, but Karim refused. At PSV knows he better chance of playing in the European Championships next summer. But for now, he has a choice to make.”

One would presume that the defender will make a statement on his future soon after the season ends next weekend, so if staying at PSV is not an option, the club can look elsewhere to help build the team for next year.

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