PSV club icon René van de Kerkhof is not at all waiting for a panic purchase to replace Cody Gakpo who left for Liverpool. He says that in the Willy and René Podcast of Omroep Brabant. In the first league match without Gakpo, PSV made very little of it on Saturday, at home against Sparta. Nevertheless, René thinks that the current selection is strong enough. “I would try Xavi Simons on the left and not make an expensive purchase now.”
PSV experienced a dramatic evening on Saturday. Sparta held out in the Philips Stadium without too much trouble, much to René’s chagrin. “You always have to beat Sparta at home. But nobody took the initiative. I missed Gutti, at least he brings some poison. Veerman, Simons and De Jong didn’t have it all.”
Nevertheless, the damage for PSV was limited because the competitors Ajax, Feyenoord and AZ all failed to win. “Only my old club Twente is suddenly there again. It can become a strange competition.”
Substitute for De Jong
It is logical that many PSV fans now point to the departure of Cody Gakpo and hope that a successor will be obtained. “Of course it is a loss because Gakpo was very important,” says René. “But I would solve it with this selection. You still have El Ghazi and Bakayoko, but I would try with Simons on the left. He also has more freedom there than in midfield, which he always has to go back with.”
If PSV does get a reinforcement, Van de Kerkhof argues for a center striker. “If Luuk de Jong is not there, then we actually have no one there.” René will not receive any contradiction or support from his twin brother Willy for the time being. Why that is, can be heard in the new podcast.