NOS Voetbal•vandaag, 00:22
Ramalho’s contract extension at PSV not certain: ‘Critically look at selection’
Less than three days after the transfer period closed, Earnest Stewart, technical director of PSV, is already busy with the next transfer period. In Studio Voetbal he responds with a “no, I don’t think so” to the statement that Johan Bakayoko will also play for the club next year.
The 20-year-old wing attacker is impressing at the top of the Premier League. Stewart: “What Johan is doing at his age is fantastic. He has played thirty top matches before the winter break, including international matches with Belgium.” The technical man at PSV expects that other clubs will also notice this. He does not want to say how much the Belgian has to yield.
Retains Veerman and lets Ramalho go
While Stewart takes Bakayoko’s departure into account, he assumes that midfielder Joey Veerman will stay. “We really want to keep Joey.” Veerman has a contract until 2026, but rejected a contract extension from PSV last month.
In addition, Stewart points out that the Netherlands is a training country, in which the sale of contributing players must be taken into account.
André Ramalho is a PSV player whose contract expires this summer. Contract extension for him is by no means certain. When asked whether the defender will be offered a new contract, Stewart is clear: “Not at the moment”.
ANPJohan Bakayoko (L) and Joey Veerman in October this year
Former American international Stewart will still stand up for Ramalho. “There are a number of things that he brings to the group. Peter (Bosz ed.) does not put him up for nothing.” To add that the selection is critically examined every transfer window, including Ramalho.
Stewart also mentions the name of Armel Bella-Kotchap, the central defender who was injured and “will return to competition in two weeks”.
Three times
The 54-year-old Stewart is not just looking ahead. He also looked back on the past transfer period, in which attacker Yorbe Vertessen left and winger Couhaib Driouech did not come over from Excelsior. And this while Noa Lang, another attacker, was injured again.
Bosz indicated that he was disappointed that he could not bring in a fast attacker in the match against Ajax (1-1). Stewart also acknowledges that PSV could have used Driouech, the fastest player in the Premier League. “Unfortunately it didn’t work out.”
Stewart about Driouech and Vertessen’s departure: ‘Considered keeping him here’
According to Stewart, the transfer failed on several levels. For example, PSV and Excelsior had not yet reached an agreement on the transfer fee.
Plus, time was a factor. After all, Excelsior had not yet been able to find a replacement and PSV wanted to test the player medically in time. “Around 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m. the plug was pulled.” The question of whether Driouech will come in the summer is not answered negatively by Stewart: “It could be”.
The technical director has still considered not letting Vertessen go to Union Berlin. Ultimately, Bosz did not think it was responsible to let the transfer fall through. Precisely because Vertessen wanted to go to Germany.
European Championships not in danger for Lang
And so PSV has to make do with thinned-out wings for the time being, because Lang could be out for months, reports Stewart. He did come with little consolation for the Orange fan. “The European Championship is not in danger.”
2024-02-04 23:22:50
#season #Bakayoko #longer #play
