Does PSV keep 15 to 20 million euros in reserve? “Strike a balance between experience and progression”

For most PSV fans, it won’t be news that the club is keen to strengthen itself for the coming season with a midfielder, Kodai Sano from NEC Nijmegen, who simply asks for 20 million euros for the Japanese player. Those 15 to 20 million euros could well end up staying in PSV’s pockets. How exactly does that work?

Last season, Sano had a strong year at Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie, who under the leadership of coach Dick Schreuder managed to reach the final of the KNVB Cup and also managed to qualify for the Champions League preliminary round. Despite this, the Japanese player will not be going with the Japanese squad to the World Cup in North America. In addition, the expectation is that PSV will have to dig deep into its pockets to take over the standout player from NEC. 

Yet within the club, consideration is also given to its own youth players. According to the Eindhovens Dagblad, account is being taken of the future of Belgian talent Noah Fernandez, who made his debut last season with PSV’s first team and was definitively lured over to the first squad by Peter Bosz.

''PSV is trying to find a balance when putting together the squad between experience and the onward development of young players'', writes Eindhovens Dagblad about the Sano case, which could get in the way of Fernandez's development.

In addition, the newspaper reports that PSV primarily also wants to bring in players with experience at the highest level, also because of earlier remarks by coach Peter Bosz. Bosz said that he can’t cope well if PSV were to hand over the reins in the title race by fielding a team that is too young.

''Therefore, technical director Earnest Stewart and general director Marcel Brands focus on players who have already proven that they can perform at the highest level'', says the local newspaper.