Valentijn Driessen urges PSV to pay between 18 and 20 million euros: “An excellent player for PSV”

PSV has meanwhile already attracted Sven Mijnans with the necessary millions, but that doesn’t seem to mean that the arrows are no longer being aimed at Kodai Sano and NEC. At De Telegraaf, they are even certain that PSV will go all-in for Sano.

The midfielder of NEC, who statistically did not even have a particularly remarkable season last season due to his meager goals and assists production, seemed to be heading towards a contract with Hoffenheim, but that transfer no longer seems to be going ahead.

And so Sano 'very possibly' still comes into the picture for PSV after all, the Eindhoven Dagblad reports as well. A transfer of the 22-year-old midfielder from NEC to TSG Hoffenheim appears to be entirely not going to happen, which means that PSV may still take action toward NEC. At De Telegraaf, however, they are more certain.

'PSV is going full throttle for Sano. They’ve been doing that all along, but the boy initially backed out of PSV because he preferred to go abroad. Now Sano can be in the picture for PSV again', says Mike Verweij in the De Telegraaf podcast Kick-Off. 

Valentijn Driessen goes even one step further. Driessen is considered a fan of Sano and urges PSV to still take the Japanese player from NEC and therefore put 18 to 20 million euros on the table. 'He is a real reinforcement for PSV's midfield. It is an excellent player, who must be kept for the Eredivisie,' says Valentijn Driessen.

The million-dollar transfer of Anderlecht talent Nathan De Cat to Hoffenheim is responsible for the cancellation of the transfer of Sano to Hoffenheim. NEC coach Dick Schreuder already said last week that he is taking into account the possibility that the deal will fall through and now the Eindhovens Dagblad also reports that Hoffenheim will not be signing De Cat and Sano. And so it seems PSV is back in the picture.

PSV has been interested in Sano for longer, who wants to make a step in his career this summer. The Japanese player had his sights set on a transfer to a top competition, but it no longer seems unthinkable that he could also make a move within his own country. NEC wants to receive around eighteen million euros, and it remains to be seen whether PSV can and will pay that.

Sano has been playing for NEC since mid-2023, which only paid €450,000 to Fagiano Okayama in Japan to release him. The Japanese player, who was not part of Japan’s World Cup squad, has since made 98 appearances for NEC. Sano is still under contract at De Goffert until mid-2028.