PSV Transfer Strategy: Key Targets and Negotiations
On the surface, PSV’s summer looks strangely calm. No flurry of announcements, no daily drip of new faces in red and white. Yet behind the closed doors in Eindhoven, the work is anything but quiet.
Technical director Earnest Stewart has drawn up a clear plan: a left-back, a centre-back and a defensive midfielder must arrive before the window shuts. And according to Rik Elfrink of Eindhovens Dagblad, three specific players now dominate the internal discussions.
Geertruida Deal Edges Forward – But Complications Everywhere
The most advanced file is Lutsharel Geertruida. PSV have been working on the versatile defender “for several weeks already” and have now reached a personal agreement with him. That is a significant step. Geertruida wants the move, PSV want him, and the profile fits perfectly.
The problem lies elsewhere.
RB Leipzig are holding firm at a €20 million asking price. On top of that, Feyenoord have not given up on bringing Geertruida back to Rotterdam and are still trying to lure him into a move of their own. PSV may have convinced the player, but they are far from alone at the negotiating table.
For Stewart, it is a classic transfer-market test: push hard now and risk overpaying, or wait and hope the price – or the competition – softens. For the moment, PSV keep working in the background, knowing that one decisive week can flip the entire situation.
Kostic on the Wing: Big Name, Free Transfer, Heavy Competition
On the left flank, another high-profile target sits near the top of the wishlist: Filip Kostic. The Serbian winger is a free agent after leaving Juventus, which makes him financially attractive on paper. No transfer fee, proven quality, European experience – it all fits the PSV model.
But a free agent of Kostic’s stature never comes without a crowd.
He has several options on the table, with AEK Athens already offering him a contract. PSV are in the race, yet they are not alone, and the competition is serious. Kostic can afford to take his time, weigh the sporting project, the salary package, the role he would play.
For PSV, it is a question of timing and conviction. Do they stretch their wage structure for a player who could instantly raise the level of the squad? Or do they walk away if the numbers climb too high?
Sano as the Midfield Piece – Price the Main Obstacle
In midfield, the preferred solution is clear: Kodai Sano of NEC. Within PSV, he is viewed as the ideal reinforcement in the holding role. The player himself is very keen on the move, and his agent, José Fortez Rodriguez, is also positive about a transfer.
On the football side, the pieces line up neatly. On the financial side, they do not.
NEC’s reported asking price of around €18 million is, for now, a step too far for PSV. They see the valuation as excessive and are not prepared to meet it at this stage. As long as that gap remains, Sano will stay where he is, and PSV will keep the talks warm rather than red hot.
No Fire Sale, No Panic – Core Players Still in Place
One major reason there is no rush in Eindhoven: the current core of the squad has not been broken up. The expected departures have not materialised. Mauro Júnior, Joey Veerman and Sergiño Dest are all still PSV players.
Mauro went a step further on Friday, stating at a press conference that he will “definitely” stay at the club. With Jerdy Schouten sidelined by a knee injury, the Brazilian wears the captain’s armband for now, and he clearly sees his future in Eindhoven, at least in the short term.
Veerman and Dest sit in a different category. Both have price tags attached: Veerman could leave for around €20 million, Dest for approximately €23 million. Yet, as Elfrink reports, there has been no concrete movement around either player. No bids, no advanced talks, no looming exit.
So PSV wait. They plan, they talk, they position themselves, but they do not panic.
“These are players who would like to take a step abroad,” Elfrink notes, “but if they stay longer they obviously are not in the way.” That line sums up PSV’s stance neatly. The club are ready for change, but they are not forcing it.
For now, Eindhoven feels like a calm surface above a busy undercurrent. Three clear targets, three complex negotiations, and a squad that might yet look very different by the end of the window. The question is not whether PSV will move – it is how late, and how bold, they are prepared to be.
