Vitesse has taken over defender Melle Meulensteen from RKC Waalwijk. The 22-year-old Meulensteen signed a four-year contract in Arnhem. RKC also saw another defender leave on Thursday. Ahmed Touba switched to the Turkish top club Istanbul Basaksehir.
Meulensteen played 4.5 years for RKC, the last period as captain. The son of football coach René Meulensteen was previously in the youth academy of Manchester United and he played for the English club Preston North End. “After a very successful period in Waalwijk, this is a great step in our own country,” says Meulensteen about his transfer to Vitesse. “I felt like I was ready for that.”
The Arnhem club, which finished sixth in the Eredivisie last season, had to say goodbye to center defender Danilho Doekhi (to Union Berlin) this summer and also saw Riechedly Bazoer leave. Bazoer regularly played central back. Vitesse previously strengthened itself with right back Carlens Arcus from Haiti, as the successor of the departed Eli Dasa.