While many clubs are still busy buying and selling players on the last day of the transfer window, PSV is very quiet. Director of Football Affairs Earnest Stewart also announced that he does not expect any more transfers on Tuesday evening. PSV therefore retains almost the entire selection. In addition to a number of youth players, Ricardo Pepi could still leave for England, but Stewart did not let him go and explains why.
All transfers must be completed by 11:59 PM. The transfer market will then be closed from Wednesday until June 16. PSV loaned Adamo Nagalo from the first team to Konyaspor, but otherwise the entire selection remains intact. “If you want to come to the Herdgang for a bit of peace and quiet, that’s fine. But I don’t see anything happening here,” Stewart laughs.
However, Joey Veerman and Ricardo Pepi were selected. The latter could make the switch to Fulham this week, as the English club had returned to PSV with an improved offer of reportedly 37 million euros.
“I had no hesitation about selling it,” Stewart said. He explains why a switch did not ultimately happen: “We were not able to find a replacement for Pepi in time. I discussed this with him and his agent and he responded fantastically.”
Now people will think: without Pepi, PSV will also become champions, right? But fellow American Stewart doesn’t want to know anything about that: “I don’t think it’s top sports mentality if we sell him because we are already so far ahead in the competition. If you cannot guarantee that the near future can be filled in well and you can still pursue all the goals, then you should not have any doubts about it. We want to become champions and win the cup.”
A number of players left from Jong PSV. Tay Abed was sold to Levante, Dele Thomas left for RB Leipzig, Eus Waayers switched to Go Ahead Eagles and top scorer Robin van Duiven is rented out to SK Lommel for six months, after which he will leave PSV on a free transfer. “The level of the first team is now quite high and so it is more difficult to join. Every youth player has a dream to become a professional footballer and sometimes that is not the case at PSV 1. You also have to make further selection, which is unfortunately also part of the job,” says Stewart.
The 56-year-old is disappointed about missing out on 19-year-old Alseny Cissé. The talent was supposed to come to PSV from Italy, but left at the last minute for AC Milan. “It’s a shame that names sometimes end up on the street. That bothers me the most. The quieter it remains, the better.”
