TUESDAY 4 JANUARY
PEC Zwolle hires Young Ajax striker De Waal as second reinforcement
10.22 am: PEC Zwolle, the last in the Eredivisie, has finally received its second reinforcement of this winter. Attacker Max de Waal (19) comes over from Ajax on a rental basis for six months. There he played twenty matches this season in the Kitchen Champion Division for Young Ajax, in which he scored nine times.
De Waal comes a day after PEC had already taken over striker Oussama Darfalou on a rental basis from Vitesse. The arrival of the two should give the Zwolle residents an offensive impulse, according to technical manager Mike Willems. PEC scored only nine times in the first eighteen league matches. “Max is a physically strong and technical attacker who leads the fight,” said Willems. “In the conversations we had, he made an extremely eager impression to now also show himself in the Eredivisie.”
De Waal says he is very much looking forward to this opportunity at the highest level. “That’s something I’ve worked hard for all these years.” Ajax also immediately announced that De Waal’s contract has been extended by one year until the summer of 2024.
Zeljko Petrovic takes Adrie Bogers to Iraq
08.43 am: Zeljko Petrovic, the national coach of Iraq, has added Adrie Bogers to his staff. The Montenegrin initially assisted Dick Advocaat with the national team of that country, but he put an end to that adventure in November. That happened at a time when qualification for the World Cup was far away due to four draws and two defeats.
Petrovic moved up to the post of head coach. He has worked with Bogers a few times before, including at Urawa Red Diamonds and RKC Waalwijk. Bogers has been Jurgen Streppel’s assistant at first divisionist Roda JC in recent months.
MONDAY 3 JANUARY
Thiago Silva stays longer at Chelsea
8 pm: Thiago Silva is staying longer at Chelsea. The experienced defender (37) from Brazil extended his contract with the London Premier League club for one year, until mid-2023.
Thiago joined from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, where he played much of his career. He also played for AC Milan in Europe. Thiago won the Champions League with Chelsea last season.
PEC welcomes Darfalou
6.05 pm: PEC Zwolle has completed the lease of Vitesse attacker Oussama Darfalou. PEC Zwolle is eighteenth and last in the Eredivisie. The people of Zwolle managed to score only nine times in the first half of the season.
“I can be very short: I want to play football and score goals,” said 28-year-old Darfalou. „At Vitesse there is not every weekend a prospect of playing time for me this season. I am therefore happy that they wanted to participate in a rental and that I can work again under trainer Dick Schreuder in Zwolle. I learned a lot from him at Vitesse in those few months. I spoke with the trainer and the assignment is clear: enforcement in the Eredivisie.”
Darfalou came to Vitesse in 2018. He plays 93 games for the Arnhem team and was accurate nineteen times. PEC Zwolle will resume the competition on Friday 14 January with a home match against Willem II.
FC Augsburg gets American ‘prodigy’ for record amount
4.21 pm: The German FC Augsburg has signed the American international Ricardo Pepi. The 18-year-old attacker is the most expensive purchase in club history. According to German media, Augsburg pays an amount that can reach up to 20 million euros to FC Dallas via bonuses.
Augsburg, which is just above the relegation zone in fifteenth place in the Bundesliga, announces Pepi as “American prodigy.” The Texas attacker, who has Mexican roots, scored thirteen goals in the MLS last year. He also made his national team debut. In seven caps for ‘Team USA’, he scored three goals and provided three assists.
“We are very happy that Ricardo is coming to Augsburg, despite interest from a number of top clubs from around the world,” said technical director Stefan Reuter. Pepi, who signed a contract until the summer of 2026, sees Augsburg as the “perfect place” to develop further. He will be teammate of captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw.
Bayern Munich let former Heerenveen mercenary go
3:54 pm: Bayern Munich have said goodbye to Oliver Batista Meier and Michaël Cuisance. Attacking midfielder Batista Meier played on a rental basis for SC Heerenveen last season. The 20-year-old German, who scored one goal in fifteen games in the Eredivisie, switches to Dynamo Dresden, which plays in the second Bundesliga.
Cuisance moves to Serie A. The 22-year-old French midfielder will play football there for Vicenza. Bayern Munich paid around 10 million euros to Borussia Mönchengladbach for Cuisance in the summer of 2019, which, however, was unable to secure a base place in Munich. Last season he played on a rental basis in his own country for Olympique Marseille.
In thirteen appearances for Bayern, the French youth international scored two goals. In his first season with Bayern, Cuisance did win the ‘triple’ (national title, German Cup and Champions League).
Seraing finds new trainer in France
3.17 pm: Frenchman Jean-Louis Garcia is Seraing’s new coach. He succeeds at the Belgian club Jordi Condom, who was fired last week. Seraing is penultimate in the highest division of Belgian football.
Seraing announced at the end of December, before the end of the 2-0 lost league match against KV Mechelen, that he would end the collaboration with Condom. The notice of his dismissal appeared on the website of the Liège club before the game ended. Under the Spanish coach, a former youth coach at FC Barcelona, Seraing lost the last five matches.
The 59-year-old Garcia had many clubs at lower levels under his wing in France. Nancy was his last club.
ADO player Class in sight abroad
Dhoraso Moreo Klas, one of the revelations at ADO Den Haag this season, has already aroused the interest of clubs from Belgium and Italy in just half a season.
The 20-year-old midfielder came over from FC Den Bosch last summer, for which he played 27 matches in recent years. The Amsterdammer has been active for the Brabant club since 2017, initially in the youth department. Klas’ contract with ADO Den Haag runs until mid-2024.
Despite being deducted by six points due to financial difficulties, ADO Den Haag has now moved up to fourth place in the Kitchen Champion Division, seven points behind leader FC Volendam. ADO won its first period title this season, as a result of which the residents of The Hague are already assured of participation in the play-offs for promotion/relegation.
SATURDAY 1 JANUARY
Vanderson signs with AS Monaco
4:47 PM: Myron Boadu can welcome a new face to the training in the new year. AS Monaco has strengthened itself with right-back Vanderson. He signs a contract for 5.5 years. The 21-year-old Brazilian comes over from Gremio, which is said to receive 11 million euros from the French. Vanderson played 59 official games for the club where he was also trained.
Niko Kovac during his last game for AS Monaco.
ⓒ ANP/HH
Vanderson and Boadu will have to deal with a new coach at AS Monaco. The Croat Niko Kovac, who still had a permanent contract until mid-2023, was evicted on Saturday. According to French media, Club Brugge coach Philippe Clement is the main candidate to succeed Kovac in Monaco.
Newcastle targets Trippier
1.45 pm: Kieran Trippier is set to become Newcastle United’s first major signing, which fell to Saudi hands last fall, the report said. BBC. There he would be reunited with his longtime trainer Eddie Howe. The two have known each other from a period at Burnley.
Trippier currently plays for Atlético Madrid, who took him over from Tottenham Hotspur in 2019. However, the defender would have ears to return to his own country. Atlético coach Diego Simeone has left Trippier with the choice to leave.
Vitaly Mikolenko with Sergino Dest to his left.
ⓒ ANP/HH
Everton strictly Ukrainian international
1:13 PM: Everton has secured the services of Vitali Mikolenko. The 22-year-old defender comes from Dinamo Kiev and has signed until mid-2026.
Mikolenko has 21 international caps to his name. At the last European Championship he reached the quarter-finals with Ukraine. In the group final, Mikolenko and his country lost 3-2 to the Orange.
Everton, the number 15 in the Premier League, left technical director Marcel Brands at the end of last year.